Sylhet: Police on Friday cordoned off a house at Shibbari in Dakkhin Surma upazila as it is said to be the hideout of militants.

Tipped off, a team of police raided the area and surrounded the five‐storey building named ‘Atia Mahal’ owned by one Ustar Ali, around 4:30am, said Harun‐ur‐Rashid, officer‐in‐charge of Dakkhin Surma Police Station.

However, residents of the adjacent houses were shifted to safer places while the shops located in the area were kept closed following the drive, said the OC.

At least 13 families have been confined to the building and police are trying to rescue them, he said.

Police are taking preparation to conduct a drive in the house, he said.

Golam Kibria, Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said, ‘There might have presence of a number of suspected militants, including female ones, on the ground floor of the building. We are trying our best to make them surrender’

Uster Ali, owner of the house, said a man named Kawser Ali identifying himself as an officer of private company Pran rented the house in January and his wife’s name is Marjina.

Basudeb Banik, deputy commissioner of SMP, requested the media persons to refrain from live telecasting of the drive.

Earlier, on 16 March, four suspected militants, including a female one and a six‐year‐old boy, were killed during a special raid by joint forces on a militant hideout at Premtala in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong.