Joint forces started their operation at a ‘den of militants’ at Shibbari in Dakkhin Surma upazila of Sylhet on Saturday morning.

Additional Deputy Police Commissioner (Media) Jedan Al Musa said the law enforcers had asked the militants to surrender before the operation but they did not respond to the call.

Later, they started the operation, ‘Spring Rain’, at the ‘den’ around 8.30am, Jedan Al Musa added.

On Friday night, army commandos joined the joint forces to raid the house after police cordoned it off in the early hours of Friday.

A team of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit arrived at the spot around 4pm on Friday from Dhaka. Another team of Para-Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army also went to the spot around 8pm on Friday to joined the drive.

Later, the joint forces comprising district police, and members of SWAT, including a five-member bomb disposal unit, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and the Army commandos started the preparations to enter the five-storey building named ‘Atia Mahal’.

Besides, police, members of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Detective Branch (DB) of police, City Special Branch (SB), Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and other law enforcement also are also there.

Police suspected that the militants might have taken their position in a room on the east side of a flat on the ground floor of the building.

Meanwhile, police evacuated 70 people from a building adjacent to the ‘Atia Mahal’.

However, over 50 residents of the building, including women and children, remained trapped inside.