Police: Ashkona reveals 7-8 new terrorists

The Purbo Ashkona raid in the city has given investigators information about a number of leaders and members of New JMB who were previously unknown to them. The militants were trying to regroup themselves in Ashkona and were planning to conduct new attacks, police said. Jebunnahar and Trisha Moni, two female militants who surrendered early into the raid, told police the flat was used as training centre for new members. Investigators yesterday said they were in search of at least four to five members who were working at the Ashkona den to plan and carry out attacks. A case was filed with Dakkhinkhan police station on Sunday night naming eight people and including three to four unnamed people. According to the case statement the den was often visited by a top leader Moinul Islam alias Abu Musa, 29. Others were Rashedur Rahman Sumon, 24, Selim, 26, Firoz, 20, and another three or four people unfamiliar to the female militants. Police have only given out full details of Musa. No other information could be gleaned from Sumon, Selim or Firoz. According to the case statement, police matched Musa’s face with the photo in the tenant form that he had provided to the house owner. After the surrender of two female militants in the den, the CTTC team that was carrying out the operation there came to learn that a large amount of explosives, arms and a number of suicide vests were stored in the flat. Besides, Musa’s wife Trisha Moni informed the investigators that her husband Musa was staying somewhere near Dhaka and a CTTC team left the spot to arrest him. During the raid the CTTC team conducted parallel drives at possible dens in Mirpur, Pallabi, Jatrabari, Savar and Ashulia area, the statement read. A resident of the street, where the den was found, told the Dhaka Tribune that the street was the most silent place in the locality as most of the residents came home within 7pm and the street would become empty after 9pm. CTTC chief Monirul Islam after the raid on Sunday evening said that pushed by law enforcement operations since the Gulshan attack, the New JMB had fewer safe dens now and they were using the Ashkona den as one of their last hideouts. Seeking anonymity a CTTC high official said the three guns that were found there were supplied by Hatkata Mahfuz, one of the major leaders of New JMB and currently staying in India and the arms and the money those were burnt at the flat were kept there by Musa himself.Two women on seven-day remandA Dhaka court yesterday granted seven day remand for the two surrendered female militants. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Meher Niger Shuchona granted the remand after they were produced before the court by CTTC Inspector Sayedur Rahman around 5pm. According to the plea they were taken to DMP’s Detective Branch office on Saturday night around 8:30pm conducting some raids based on their information. Later, a case was filed on Sunday late night and they were produced before the court yesterday.Teenage terrorist died of bulletsDhaka Medical College Forensic Department head Sohel Mahmud completed the primary autopsy of 14-year-old JMB member Afif Qadri alias Ador yesterday. After conducting the autopsy around 2pm, Assistant Professor Sohel said they primarily found that the boy might have been killed from bullet wounds, of which he had several. The doctor said he collected viscera samples, blood and urine for chemical tests. Thigh muscle, hair and tooth were also taken for DNA tests. Afif’s father militant Tanvir Qadri committed suicide during Azimpur raid and at present his body is preserved in the same medical mortuary cooler. Dr Mahmud said the bodies of Maj (rtd) Jahidul Islam alias Murad, Tanvir Qadri, Shakira and Afif Qadri are preserved in the mortuary cooler.