The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) detained 13 people, including four women, after conducting a raid on a suspected militant hideout in a remote hilly area under Kulaura thana of Moulvibazar yesterday morning.
There were three children with them as well, CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman said after the end of the operation, named “Operation Hillside.”
The detainees are Shariful Islam, 40, Hafiz Ullah, 25, Khairul Islam, 22, Meghna, 17, Meghna’s 12-month-old daughter Abida, Shapla Begum, 22, her 18-month-old daughter Zubeda and six-year-old son Huzaifa, Maisha Islam, 20, Sanjida Khatun, 18, Amin Begum, 40, and Habiba Binte Shafiqul, 20.
He also said “Jihadi books”, some cash, and explosives were recovered from the hideout during the operation.
The agency recovered 2.5kg of explosives, 50 detonators, training manuals, commando boots and other training equipment, knives and other sharp weapons, Tk3.61 lakh in cash and gold ornaments from the hideout, according to Moulvibazar police.
The detainees are members of an organization named “Imam Mahmud's Kafela.”
Local police cordoned off the house at 8pm on Friday on suspicion of it being a militant hideout.
Later, after the arrival of the CTTC, the operation started at 7am yesterday
The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the DMP also joined the CTTC team in its operation.
Md Asaduzzaman said: "We initially came to know that they were living on 50 decimals of the land, which they had bought, on a hill in Kulaura to build a militant hideout there. We had information that many others were at this hideout. We will be able to bring everyone under the law soon.”
