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AP/Press Association Images

Attack targets school as 250,000 prayed nearby to mark end of Ramadan

It is believed to have been carried out by Islamists.

Updated 8.40am

SUSPECTED ISLAMISTS CARRIED out another deadly attack in Bangladesh today near the country’s biggest prayer service for the start of Eid, days after a mass murder of hostages in the capital Dhaka.

Authorities said two policemen and an attacker had been killed after several explosions near a prayer ground in the district of Kishoreganj as at least 250,000 people joined a traditional post-Ramadan Eid gathering.

An officer stationed in the northern district’s police control room told AFP that one policeman had died at the scene of the bomb attack and a second had been later pronounced dead in hospital.

Another senior officer said that six of his men had been injured in the attack and one of the attackers had been shot dead, while home-made machetes had been recovered from the scene.

“They threw a bomb at a police checkpost. A police constable was killed in the explosion. One attacker was killed and another was arrested,” Mahbubur Rahman, a police officer in the district control room, told AFP.

Armed with machetes

Tofazzal Hosain, who is the district’s deputy police chief, told AFP that several people had taken part in the attack and some had been armed with machetes — a hallmark of recent Islamist killings in Bangladesh.

“They first threw a small bomb targeting police and then attacked them with machetes. Police retaliated by returning gunfire,” he said.

The private Somoy TV station broadcast footage of a gunfight between police and a group of attackers and reported that the slain policeman had been hacked to death.

Azimuddin Biswas, the district administrator, told AFP that the attack had taken place on the premises of a nearby school and not on the actual prayer ground.

“The congregation was not affected by the clashes,” according to Biswas.

Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, it comes less than a week after Islamists killed 20 hostages and two policemen in an overnight siege at a Western-style cafe in Dhaka.

State of alert

Bangladesh has been on a heightened state of alert in the wake of the killings in Dhaka last Friday night and many services that were held on Thursday to mark the start of Eid included pleas from religious leaders for an end to the violence.

“Allah, protect our country … and protect our children from the evils of terrorism,” Mohammad Sadequl Islam, the local imam, told a gathering of around 5,000 devotees at Dhaka’s Mahakhali neighbourhood.

Many of those who attended services in Dhaka could be seen openly weeping as clerics led prayers for a more peaceful and prosperous Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has been reeling from a growing wave of attacks since the turn of the year, many of which have been claimed by the self-styled Islamic State group or an offshoot of the Al-Qaeda network.

However Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government has consistently denied that international jihadist networks have gained a foothold in the mainly Muslim country and have said the weekend attack in Dhaka was carried out by members of a local outlawed Islamist group.

All of the victims of the weekend attack in the capital, who included 18 foreigners, were hacked to death.

Read: Muslim leaders condemn suicide bombs in Saudi Arabia, including one at holy site>

Read: 20 hostages killed in Bangladesh, many “brutally hacked to death”>

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    Mute Veronica
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    Jul 7th 2016, 7:33 AM

    “All of the victims … were hacked to death.”

    Jesus Christ. Those poor people, even worse that they were celebrating a religious holiday.

    90
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    Mute Val Rossi
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    Jul 7th 2016, 7:45 AM

    “it’s believed to have been carried out by Islamists” No shít Sherlock, I’d have never guessed that one.

    73
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    Mute Harry C
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    Jul 7th 2016, 7:18 AM

    This is Blair’s legacy!!!!

    62
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Jul 7th 2016, 8:26 AM

    This has nothing to do with Blair

    42
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jul 7th 2016, 9:50 AM

    This has everything to do with Blair, Bush, Obama, and soon, Clinton.

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    Mute William Boyd
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:13 AM

    I don’t seem to remember Blair, Bush, Obama bothering Bangladesh?.

    26
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:34 AM

    Radicalisation is not like your mind William, myopic. When you say things like aforementioned, you present as a moron. I fully understand how the Journal is the same ilk on mass as the Truth, Mirror or Sun. However, you do not need to personify that at every given opportunity.

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    Mute Joanna
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    Jul 7th 2016, 8:03 AM

    Will it ever end?

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    Mute Mise Éire
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    Jul 7th 2016, 2:02 PM

    Over 2,000 murdered by Islamists during supposedly peaceful Ramadan. Is this a record? #religionofpeace

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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
    Favourite George Vladisavljevic
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    Jul 7th 2016, 7:52 AM

    “SUSPECTED ISLAMISTS CARRIED out a new deadly attack earlier today” Now that is a shocker!

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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jul 7th 2016, 8:26 AM

    nearly 2000 people have been killed in the name of Islam during Ramadan , the total for the rest of the world religions was 0 …what more needs to be said

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    Mute Watcher-on-the-Wall
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    Jul 7th 2016, 8:58 AM

    “Have a Snickers – everytime you get hungry you turn into a diva” – it’s all that fasting…

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    Mute Davor Niksic
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    Jul 7th 2016, 9:25 AM

    I don’t even get this any more, Islamist’s attacking Muslims?

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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jul 7th 2016, 9:32 AM

    you can translate that as people who have read the whole Quran attacking people that have only read half the Quran ;-)

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:38 AM

    There was mention of the rise of the anti Christ in the bible , I’m now wondering is it the Islamic terrorists as it seems to be non ending with people thinking it’s fine to go into crowded places and blow people to bits and then hack them to death .

    Mmmm time to cut off the heads of the snake , all there leaders should be found and disposed of .

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    Mute Ariana
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:52 AM

    Christians attacked Christians in the North.

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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:57 AM

    @Ariana , if fairness , I don’t think Gerry and the lads had a beef with prods because they didn’t believe in Transubstantiation

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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jul 7th 2016, 1:29 PM

    Or indeed the “wrong” koran….

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    Mute Ossi Fritsche
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    Jul 7th 2016, 10:58 AM

    Monsters

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    Mute Rob O'Brien
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    Jul 7th 2016, 12:51 PM

    Journal snowflakes deleting comments that don’t suit the narrative once again.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Jul 7th 2016, 1:08 PM

    Journal snowflakes thinking the world is out to get them when one of their comments gets removed.

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    Mute Rob O'Brien
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    Jul 7th 2016, 6:29 PM

    You okay hun?

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    Mute Patrick J O'CONNOR
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    Jul 7th 2016, 6:15 PM

    @Padraig O Raghaill………… It’s now obvious why you are so quick to denigrate others as psychopaths. ‘Tis nought but
    projections from your own twisted pathological mind that compels you to connect Bangladesh hellhole killings with Blair ,Bush Obama,etc. But carry on making a show of your pathology,-that’s how observers know they are on sane ground.

    5
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