Security forces arrests 12 suspected al Qaeda militants

July 2, 2015 6:12 AM

The 12 were arrested in different parts of Dhaka on Wednesday night, said Maksudul Alam, of the anti-terrorism Rapid Action Battalion

Bangladesh arrests 12 suspected al Qaeda militants

Bangladesh security forces have arrested 12 suspected militants, including the chief of the al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which claimed responsibility for two killings this year of bloggers critical of religious extremism.

The 12 were arrested in different parts of Dhaka on Wednesday night, said Maksudul Alam, of the anti-terrorism Rapid Action Battalion.

Mainul Islam, the AQIS chief coordinator in Bangladesh, and his top adviser, Zafar Amin, were among the 12.

AQIS is an Al Qaeda affiliate for militant activities in South Asia.

Three online critics of religious extremism in the Muslim-majority nation have been hacked to death this year by machete-wielding attackers in Bangladesh. AQIS has claimed responsibility for two of the killings, including that of U.S.-Bangladeshi activist and blogger Avijit Roy.