Operation Twilight (Bangladesh)

A suicide bombing killed six (four civilians and two police officers) and wounded more than 40, several critically, in South Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh. An army Lieutenant Colonel later died from his injuries from explosion. It was a bombing attack on the Bangladesh Armed Forces gathered near a militant compound in Sylhet, Bangladesh on 25 March 2017. Later, other bombs exploded and gunfire was reported. Islamic State claimed responsibility for this terror attack. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has denied the claims of the Islamic State and blamed the local Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the bombing. The Bangladesh Army later found four dead bodies of militants at the suspected hideout.

On Thursday, 23 March 2017, the Bangladesh Police surrounded a suspected militant hideout in South Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Later, a SWAT team joined the police unit from Dhaka. The housing complex has two apartment buildings. The Police unit was reinforced with personal from Rapid Action Battalion on Friday. On Saturday, the 1st Para Commando Battalion took charge of operations and named it Operation Twilight. Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman was also arrested from Sylhet city in 2006.

On 26 March 2017 militants bombed a crowd of about 500-600 people gathered near the police perimeter, which was about 400 metres from the militant hideout. There were two bombs used in the attack, the first was thrown by two individuals from a motorcycle and the second one was left in a bag containing vegetables. Six people, including two police officers were killed in the explosion. The second explosion occurred after police and RAB personal moved to the area after the first explosion. 44 people were injured in the explosion. The first explosion took place at 6:45 pm and the second one at 7:55 pm. Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad, director of intelligence of RAB was serious injured in the explosion. He was taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, then Dhaka’s Combined Military Hospital. He was shifted to Singapore for better treatment. Police inspector Monirul Islam of the bomb disposal squad and inspector Abu Kawser were killed in the second explosion. Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad died from his injuries.