Moulvibazar: Joint forces have launched an operation at one of the two suspected militant dens police cordoned off in Moulvibazar early Wednesday.

The joint team comprising members of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and district police began the drive at the ‘militant hideout’ at Nasirpur village in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila in the evening.

Sounds of gunshots were heard from the area at about 6:15pm as the joint forces tried to make their way into the house. However, there was no retaliation from the ‘militant den’.

Earlier, the SWAT team along with a bomb disposal unit reached the spot at about 5:00pm from Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the law enforcers kept the other ‘militant den’ at Barhat in municipality area till filing of this report at about 9:00pm.

Earlier, police surrounded the two houses early Wednesday, suspecting those to be militant hideouts.

Police encircled the houses at about 2:30am, said officer-in-charge of Moulvibazar Model Police Station Abdus Salek.

Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said suspected militants at the house of Nasirpur village hurled grenades at the policemen. In retaliation, police also fired back several times, he added.

The residents of Nasirpur said they heard the sounds of gunshots several times.

Section 144 imposed

Meanwhile, the local administration shut down all the educational institutions in and around the spots for ensuring the security of civilians, police said.

Members of CTTC unit also joined the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on the spots.

Besides, police evacuated the residents of the area safely.

On the other hand, the local administration imposed section 144 in Barhat area and within a 2-km radius of the ‘militant den’ at Nasirpur.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said law enforcement agencies cordoned off the two ‘militant dens’ following intelligence information.

While talking to reporters at the Secretariat in the capital, he also said the militants were hurling bombs at the law enforcers from the dens.

Police super of the district Mohammad Shahjalal said both the houses are owned by Saiful Islam, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in London. “Some 10-11 people reside in the two houses. Prima facie, it seems they have connections with each others.”

Khalilpur union council chairman Arbinda Poddar Bachchu said the inmates of the Nasirpur house, some 20 km off the district town, rented it two months back.

A neighbour of the house said two male members, one female and a child are residing in the house but they hardly went outside the house since they rented the house.

Besides, the house located in Barhat is an under-construction building.

Raushonuzzaman Siddique, assistant superintendent of police, said a Belal identified himself as a manager of private company rented the house three months back.

Detectives identified the ‘militant den’ of Barhat keeping close watch on the house for three days and gathering information about the tenants.

Meanwhile, police arrested 11 from the Nasirpur village on Wednesday suspecting their involvement in militant activities, said the OC.

Earlier, 10 people, including four militants and two police officials, were killed and at least 40 people injured during the 83-hour long operation, 'Twilight', at Atia Mahal, said Army's Military Intelligence Director Brig Gen Fakhrul Ahsan.