Blast in Kishoregunj, Bangladesh; 4 dead

Kishoregunj, July 7: The death toll in Kishoregunj blast has risen to 4. Out of them, 3 are policemen, one having been identified as Zahirul Islam.

The explosion occurred in a prayer congregation of 3 lakh people in Sonakia here, which is considered to be the largest gathering in Bangladesh. The incident took place at 9 am Dhaka time, close to a railway check point. Security forces have cordoned off the area and gunfight is underway. All the people offering the prayers have been taken to safety.

The injured have been admitted to the local Kishoregunj hospital. The operation is underway, but it is still unclear who were the targets of the attack. Hasanul Haq, I&B Minister, however, said that the Government of Bangladesh is considering it as a terror attack and the target was a massive police patrolling team accompanying an Eid congregation in Sholakia Idgah.

It is said that a hand bomb was hurled at the policemen near the Azim Uddin School, which is a kilometer away from the Idgah. Further explaining the intentions of the terrorists, Haq said, "this is a political attack as the terrorists want to oust the government at the Centre."

The terrorists were reported to be hiding in a house close to the blast site. While one of the terrorists has been neutralised, the other one has been captured alive after long hours of encounter.

[Read: Bangladesh attacked again: Molotov cocktail bomb hurled at police party]

Kishoregunj is 90 kilometers from Dhaka, where terrorists struck the upmarket Holey Artisan Bakery and killed 26 people in a terror rampage. The incident rattled the political spheres of the country in the wake of an apprehension that ISIS may have finally touched base in the country too.

OneIndia News