Shawdesh Desk:

Members of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit detained 10 suspected operatives of the newly formed extremist outfit Imam Mahmud’s Kafela after conducting Operation Hillside at a hideout in a remote hilly area at village East Taktiuli under Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar on Saturday.

Three children were also rescued from the hideout during the drive.

The detainees are Shariful Islam, 40, his wife Amina Begum, 40, their 20-year-old daughter Habiba Binte Shariful, of Satkhira’s Tala upazila; Hafiz Ullah, 25, of Kishoreganj; Khairul Islam, 22 and his wife Meghna, 22, of Narayanganj’s Fatullah upazila; Rafiul Islam, 22, of Sirajganj’s Kazipur upazila; Shapla Begum, 22, wife of one Abdus Sattar of Pabna’s Atgharia upazila; Maisha Islam, 20, wife of Sohel Tanjim Rana of Natore; and Sanjida Khatun, 18, wife of Sumon Miah of Bogura’s Shariakandi upazila.

Md Asaduzzaman, chief of CTTC unit and additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, at a press briefing following the operation in Kulaura upazila at about 11:00am said that they detained four men and six women and rescued three children from the hideout.

He said that the detainees were members of the newly formed extremist outfit Imam Mahmud’s Kafela.

The CTTC chief said they have also recovered 2.5 kg of explosives, 50 detonators, training manual, combat boots, extremist books, locally-made sharp weapons, Tk 3,61,000 in cash and ornaments from the hideout.

Asaduzzaman said they had information that a extremist outfit had set up a hideout on one of the hills in the district and was recruiting new members.

The CTTC chief said they came to know the name of the mastermind of the extremist group from the detainees and drives are now on to nab him.

Earlier on Friday night, the CTTC members accompanied by district police cordoned off a building at the village.

Later this morning, the CTTC unit initiated the operation to neutralise any potential risk stemming from the hideout.

Local Union Parishad chairman Muhibul Islam said the detained suspected extremists are residents of other districts and they have been living in the area for the past two months after constructing a house in the remote hilly area.