Eid festival marked by bombs and gun battle: 4 killed and 7 wounded
The attackers threw bombs targeting police in front of a school. At least 200,000 people gathered close by. It is the second terror attack in a week, following the Dhaka massacre. The reported target was the local imam, who is known for his liberal views.
Dhaka (AsiaNews/Agency) - Four persons including a policeman were killed and seven were wounded in a bomb explosion and gun-battle on Thursday morning near a mass Eid prayer gathering celebrating the end of Ramadan, in Sholakia Kishoreganj district. It is the second terror attack in a week in Bangladesh, following the bloody Dhaka massacre on July 1st, in which 20 people were killed.
A group of attackers threw homemade bombs at the Azim Uddin High School about a kilometer from a prayer ground where at least 200,000 people were gathered to mark the start of Eid. "They threw a bomb at a police checkpost. A police constable was killed in the explosion. One attacker was killed and another was arrested," reported local police officer, Mahbubur Rahman.
Tofazzal Hosain, the district's deputy police chief, stated that “they first threw a small bomb targeting police and then attacked them with machetes.” Some reports suggest that the real target of teh attack was the imam of Kishoreganj, who is known for his liberal views. The Islamic leader had reportedly started a signature campaign to condemn terrorism in the name of Islam.
Bangladesh has faced a growing wave of attacks over the past several months, many of which have been claimed by the Islamic State or groups linked with the Al-Qaeda network. Even though the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denied the presence of the Islamic State in the country, yesterday the terror group issued a chilling video threatening more attacks, saying: “What you witnessed in Bangladesh was a glimpse. This will happen again and again until you lose and we win and sharia is established throughout the world.”
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