The target was the Holy Spirit parish in the Banani neighborhood. The officers arrest members of the "New Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh". For months, the terrorist group was rebuilding the leadership decimated by successive arrests after Dhaka massacre.
Dhaka (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The anti-terrorism forces have foiled an attack on a Catholic church in the capital, planned for Christmas Day. This was revealed by a police officer, who reports the arrest of members of the extremist group "New Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh" (Neo-JMB) who planned to plant suicide bombers in the Holy Spirit Church, in the Banani neighborhood.
In view of Christmas, the government increased controls and security measures around 62 churches in Dhaka. The arrest of the militants took place on December 24 in a house in Ashkona, but details of the operation were leaked yesterday. The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) group arrested the new leader of the terrorist group, Moinul Islam alias Abu Musa, along with other accomplices.
CTTC chief Monirul Islam, told the Dhaka Tribune that the apartment was used as a refuge by the bombers. Inside documents and papers were found that delineate the attack mode, which would have included a woman.
The agents reveal that the group was reorganizing its leadership, after its leaders were gradually decimated in raids following the massacre of foreigners on July 1 last at the Holey Artisan Bakery Cafe in Dhaka. Now investigations are concentrated on tracking down sources of funding and other likely supporters.