Four killed in suicide bombings, gunshots in JMB hideout(Bangladesh)

Shaik's wounded son Nabil nabbed from Comilla-Bomb expert Molla Omar shot dead, his wife, two children die in blast

Masudur Rahman from Comilla

Four persons, including the bomb expert and also a top ranking leader of the banned terrorist outfit Jammat-ul Mujahideen (JMB) along with his wife and two minor children were killed in gunshots and suicide bombings in Comilla town on Monday.(Bangladesh Observer)



According to the sources, JMB suicide squad chief and also bomb expert Shakil alias Sagar, widely known as Mollah Omar was gunned down by the snipers while his wife and two minor children died on the spot in a devastating suicide bomb explosion in a hideout during an anti-terrorist operation by the RAB commandos at Kaliajhuri area in Comilla.

The JMB operatives blew-off the bombs when the commandos of the elite force cornered the terrorist along with his family and cohorts in a house at Kaliajhuri area, Bishnupur in Comilla town.

Four RAB men also received injuries when the terrorists hurled bombs on the security personnel when they (RAB commandos) attempted to enter the two-storey building where the JMB members were hiding.

In a major breakthrough, the RAB members also caged JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman’s son Nabil in wounded condition and his accomplice an JMB Eshar member Alamgir from the Kaliajhuri den at one stage of the operation.

The victims were identified as Mollah Omar (27), his wife aged around 22, whose identity could not be ascertained immediately, Omar’s son Sayeed, 3, and one and a half-year-old daughter Meem.

The bodies of the victims were sent to the Comilla Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Busting the den, the law enforcers recovered seven high powered live bombs, each of which has enough force to blow off the two-storey house, Rab officials said.

Members of the RAB were conducting a series of raids in different parts of Comilla to nab two most wanted Majlish-e Shura members Salehuddin and Saifullah till the time of filing this report at 9:30 pm on Monday.

RAB members cordoned a house ‘Jannatul Safi’ near PTI at around 10:30 am following the information got from JMB Comilla District commander Mostafizur Rahman Sohel. Earlier, based on the information given by the JMB cbgief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, members of the RAB aresred Sohel conducting a raid at another hideout of JMB ‘Kazi Rowshan Vila, at 60, Bishnupur in the town at around 5:00am.

Cordoning the house, RAB at first ordered the house owners Khairun Nahar (her husband staying abroad) to come out of her house.

Meanwhile, sensing the presence of the RAB men, the JMB men threw five high powered bombs on the security personnel that left four RAB personnel injured.

Later, in an RAB encounter Molla Omar was killed and his wife along with two minor children died in a suicide bomb blast on the spot.

The RAB men at that time threw hot water through pipe with the help of Fire Service personnel inside the house. Mollah Omar who was hidden in the den exploded a highly powerful bomb, which forced to retaliate the RAB men. RAB personnel replied the blast with gunshots that left Mollah Omar killed on the spot around 2.30pm.

Later, RAB men entered the den and found the body of Molla Omar inside the room. The RAB men also dismantled the explosives in presence of first Class Magistrate Wahidul Islam which were found inside the den.

Three of the four injured RAB members were identified as Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Masudduzzaman and Shamsuzzaman and Constable Golam Nabi. They are now undergoing treatment at the Comilla CMH with Masudduzzaman in critical condition.

Earlier, Rab men caught red handed Abdus Samad alias Minto from ‘Rowshan Vila at 60, Bishnapur area in the town where he hired the house along with JMB Comilla district Commander Mostasfizur Rahman Shohel as they identified themselves as Humayun Kabir and Hasan Saber. Following the confessional statement of Mostafizur Rahman Shohel, Rab men cordoned Kaliajhuri JMB den.

Sources said Mollah Omar had strapped a bomb to his body and threatened to blow himself up but failed to detonate the bomb before he was fatally wounded in a fire fight with RAB forces.

His accomplice Nabil, son of Jama'atul Mujahedin Bangladesh chief Shaekh Abdur Rahman, was found seriously injured under the debris of the house after the suicide explosion that killed Mollah's wife and children, aged 3 and 1 explosive devices were found attached to his wife's body.

Nabil was rushed to hospital and later moved to Dhaka for further treatment. Another follower, Alamgir, was captured uninjured.

Mollah Omar refused repeated calls from the Rapid Action Battalion to surrender.

Major Joha Asked Mollah to surrender through a land phone from the neighbour's house but was rebuffed.

"I am not Shaekh Abdur Rahman and I will not surrender as he did," Omar was quoted by Commander Masuk as saying when Major Joha asked him to give up.

JMB leader Shaikh Rahman surrendered without a shot being fired March 2.

Instead Mollah and his JMB accomplices fired 15 bullets from inside their hideout and hurled explosives at the RAB men, injuring four of the law enforcement officers. He then attempted to blow up the house but was shot dead by RAB men from close range. Two bullets were found in the body of Mollah Omar.

Soon after, Nabil was found with splinter-injuries while Alamgir was found uninjured in the house which belongs to M Yunus, an expatriate in Saudi Arabia. The law enforcers also detained two nieces of Yunus, adds BDNews and UNB.

"We can't believe that he would kill his children in such a horrific way. These people must be mad," said a RAB official who took part in the operation.

Lt Col Gulzar, chief of RAB's intelligence wing said they had raided homes in Comilla following information obtained from Shaekh Abdur Rahman who is being held in Dhaka. The raid was led by Lt Col Hasiam.

RAB officials said they launched the operation in the small hours to nab Khaled Saifullah and Salahuddin, the two remaining fugitive Majlish-e-Shura members of the JMB, as well as Shaekh Rahman's son Nabil.

In a drive at Rawshan Villa in Bishnupur, the elite force first arrested JMB Ehsar member Abdus Mintoo, his wife Khaleda Akter Rani and two sons -- Taieb and Quazem.

Following his statement, they also arrested JMB district commander Mostafizur Rahman Sohel, Asaduzzaman and Liton, and recovered four grenades, huge quantities of wires, batteries, detonators, gunpowder and explosives from their possession.

Following statements from the arrested that indicated senior JMB leaders were staying at a house in Kaliajuri Bishnupur, the members of the RAB intelligence along with the RAB-1,3,7 and 10 at 7am cordoned off phe house where Mollah Omar was hiding.

Later RAB defused the seven detonators found at 'Jannatul Shafi'.

earlier, RAB members arrested two activists of banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including the district commander, from the town early Monday.

As per information by JMB Chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, the elite force raided Bishnupur area at about 2.30am and arrested JMB ‘ehsar’ member Abdus Samad alias Mintu from a house.

He along with one of his accomplices Hasan rented the Qazi Rowshan Vila from March 1 this year, local sources said.

RAB sources said they also seized some hand grenades, bomb-carrying bags, battery, gunpowder, four bombs and some detonators from the house.

As per confession of Mintu, they arrested Sohel, JMB Comilla district commander, from Tomchhom bridge area later.

They also detained Samad’s wife Khaleda Akter Rani and his two sons Abdul Tayeb, 7, and Kazem, 5, from Bishnupur for interrogation.

Lt. Col. Gulzar of RAB detective branch said that RAB-10, RAB-3 and RAB-7 and over 250 police conducted the drive. RAB sources said they conducted the drive mainly for arresting JMB Majlish-e-Shura member Khaled Saifullah.