Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, mastermind of the cafe attack in Dhaka's Gulshan neighbourhood in July, and two other militants were killed in a drive against militants in Bangladesh on Saturday. The security forces were acting on the tip-off given by others arrested in relation to the Gulshan terror attack.
Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), the Rapid Action Battalion and the local police raided a building in Narayanganj town around 9.30 a.m. The operation went on for an hour, in which the three militants were killed. The building was cordoned off, Narayanganj ASP Faruk Hossain was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.
"The gunfight erupted this morning [Saturday morning] after police started raiding a building at Naraynganj's Pikeparha," Counter-terrorism Unit's Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanowar Hossain was quoted as saying by the bdnews24.com.
Heavy gunfire was exchanged between the security forces and the militants, who also burnt documents that are believed to be crucial, ASP Hossain said.
Chowdhury, a Canadian Bangladeshi, was also believed to have plotted an attack on civilians during Eid celebrations in Sholakia.
On July 27, at least nine other Islamist militants who were related to the Holey Artisan Bakery attack were killed in Kalyanpur area.
"The dead are all between the age 20 and 24. The backpacks we found during the raid were similar to the ones used by the attackers in Gulshan," said Asaduzzaman Mia, chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
They were reportedly planning another similar attack when the security forces raided them.
On June 30, at least 20 hostages and two policemen were killed after five terrorists laid siege on the bakery in the upscale area of Dhaka. Of the 20 dead, 18 were foreigners. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
