At least three people were killed and more than 10 injured on Thursday when crude bombs exploded near an Eid congregation held at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Bangladesh's Kishoreganj area. Two policemen, identified as Zahirul Islam and Ansarul, and a civilian died in the explosion, reported AFP. One of the attackers also died, police said.
Around three lakh people had gathered at the venue to offer prayers on the auspicious day, the country's Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told ANI. Reports suggested that six to seven men attacked the police team with knives before detonating the bombs.
Media reports said a number of homemade molotov cocktail bomb were hurled at the entrance of the Azim Uddin High School, around 100 km from the country's capital, Dhaka. "Up to nine police constables have been injured in the attack," Inu told News 18, adding that the attack was aimed at a police convoy patrolling the neighbourhood. The injured have been taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
On Wednesday, the Islamic State released a video warning Bangladesh of terror attacks in the near future. The attack on Thursday comes only a few days after a terror outfit struck Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka on Friday. While the Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, the Bangladesh government maintained its stand that the West Asian militant group does not operate in the country, and blamed a local outfit instead.
The 11-hour siege left 20 people, mostly foreign nationals, dead. In a video released on Wednesday, the Islamic State group had threatened more attacks in Bangladesh.
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