Gunfire, blasts at terror den

At least three persons including one law enforcers were killed and 31 others injured in a blast near the militant hideout being raided by army commandos in Sylhet, police said. The incident took place in front Gutatikor Islamia Dakhil Madrasa in the area at 6:45pm, police sources said. One of the deceased was identified as Police Inspector of Dakkhin Surma Monir. The identities of others could not be known immediately.

It was suspected that the unidentified duo carried a suicide attack to the law enforcers in the area. OC of Dakkhin Surma police station Shah Harunur Rashid and another Inspector of the same police station Abu Kaysar received critical injury in the incident. The matter was confirmed by Additional Deputy Police Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Zeden Al Musa.

Army commandos have rescued 78 civilians stranded at the building in Sylhet, which is being raided since Saturday morning. The assault is yet to end till the report was made. Nine hours after the army launched 'Operation Twilight' to storm a five-storey building at Shibbarhi on the outskirts of Sylhet city, an army  spokesperson said that the operation has not ended.

Sound of explosion and gunshots have reportedly been heard in 'Atia Mahal', a suspected militant hideout in Sylhet, during the army-led assault on Saturday afternoon. A local source said, sound of four 'grenade' explosions have been heard in Sibbari area under South Surma upazila in Sylhet at about 2:15pm.

Brig Gen Fakhrul Ahasan told the media at the scene that militants were still inside the building and that the commandos' assault was continuing. He, however, could not spell out clearly how long it would take to finish the raid.
Brig Gen Ahasan said that their initial objective was to rescue the civilians stranded in the building for more than 30 hours. "We have succeeded on that. A total of 78 people have been evacuated safely."

Troops from the Para-Commando Battalion began the assault to round off a 30-hour siege against a complex housing two buildings -- a five-storey and a four-storey -- at Shibbarhi on the outskirts of Sylhet city at 9am. Thirty minutes before the assault media persons and others in the area were asked to move at least a kilometer away from the complex and utility connections to buildings were cut off.

Intense exchanges of fire interspersed with intermittent explosions could be heard in phases from the spot throughout the raid. No details were available throughout the day as no one from the army or the law enforcement agencies spoke to the media after the assault began.

The army took charge of the operations in the morning after a second commando team arrived at the scene. The assault began at 9am. Until 2pm, gunfire was heard twice from the scene, but the exchanges of fire intensified afterwards and explosions rocked the area.

At least eight explosions were heard between 2pm and 3pm. Police officers outside the complex said the loud explosions could be grenades that the militants may have lobbed. Three injured soldiers were seen being carried away for medical treatment around 2:30am.

The continued blasts and gunshots stopped after 3pm. Bursts of gunfire could be heard for the next two hours. Two blasts were heard around 5pm and were followed by continuous firing, which lasted for the next 40 minutes, and then stopped. It was then that an army officer came to the media and said that a briefing would be held. Around 6:30pm, Brig Gen Ahasan briefed the media on the assault, when he said that it has not ended.

-Our Correspondent, Sylhet