3 killed, dozens injured in blasts outside militant den in northeastern Bangladesh

Three people, including a policeman, were killed and dozens of others injured in two explosions Saturday near a militant hideout in Sylhet city, some 240 km northeast of capital Dhaka, local police said.

A police official who preferred not to be named told Xinhua that three people were killed and 26 others including five law enforcers injured in two separate blasts that took place some 400 metres off a five-story building where army commandos have been conducting an operation codenamed "Twilight."

The blasts took place at around 8 p.m. local time, leaving one policeman dead and five other law enforcers injured.

It was not known who exploded the bombs targeting law enforcers who had surrounded the five-story building since the wee hours of Thursday.

Jedan Al Musa, a senior Sylhet police official, said the militants rented the ground floor of the building three months ago.

"A man and a woman identified themselves as husband and wife and rented the ground floor flat three months ago."

He said residents from adjacent houses have been evacuated to safe areas.

Law enforcers from capital Dhaka have already reached the scene to boost local police efforts.

The raid came days after four suspected militants were killed as Bangladeshi law enforcers on Thursday stormed a militant hideout at Sitakunda on the outskirts of the country's seaport city Chittagong, some 240 km southeast of capital Dhaka.

source: Xinhua