DHAKA: The Bangladesh government told mosques to denounce extremism, following deadly attacks in Sri Lanka that killed hundreds of people.
Sri Lanka has been shocked by the Easter Sunday bombings that targeted churches and top hotels, with the attacks carried out by locals although Daesh claimed responsibility.
The mosque directive came from the prime minister’s office, telling clerics to deliver a message in their Friday sermons that opposed terrorism and extremism.
“Extremism has no place in Islam,” Sultan Muhiuddin, an imam of Dhaka’s Rahmatia Jame Mosque, told Arab News.
“As disciples of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we can’t indulge in any radical activities. We preached upon the negative effects of radicalization and reminded people of the dire consequences in the light of the Qur’an,” he said.
Premier Sheikh Hasina said terrorism had become a global phenomenon and that every country was threatened by this menace.
“We are very much alert on this issue and have already taken the necessary steps to avoid any untoward situation,” she told reporters on Friday.
“I had a detailed meeting with all the intelligence agencies’ chiefs and asked them to stay alert. Extremism has no religion, no country … It has become a global issue and now the time has come to find out the patrons of these terrorists.”
But Bangladesh police deny that Daesh exists or has a presence in the country.
“In Bangladesh there is no existence of Daesh (Daesh) or any of its branches,” Mohammad Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told Arab News.
“But there are some other extremist groups specially Ansar-Al-Islam and Neo JMB, which have had almost no activity in recent days. Still, we are very vigilant. If any militant group re-emerges with their activities, we are ready to curb them at an early stage.”
But one security analyst said the Sri Lanka attacks may inspire some militant groups to carry out similar acts in Bangladesh.
“We need to remain alert regarding the people who joined Daesh,” retired Air Commodore Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury told Arab News.
“These people may try to enter into Bangladesh through different land borders to conduct terrorist activities. We need to increase the monitoring in the border areas to check these militants. In recent years, our law enforcement capacity has increased a lot to counter any terrorist activity. Mass awareness has also increased against radicalism. For these two reasons I think Bangladesh can protect itself against any large-scale terrorist attack,” he added.
Bangladesh mosques urged to denounce radicalism
Bangladesh mosques urged to denounce radicalism
- Premier Sheikh Hasina said terrorism had become a global phenomenon and that every country was threatened by this menace
Nine Nigerian troops killed, several missing in jihadist ambush
- “We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by Daesh-WAP terrorists and many others are still missing,” a military officer said
- The soldiers dispersed in all directions following sustained gunfire from the militants
KANO, Nigeria: At least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed and over a dozen are missing after Daesh-aligned militants ambushed a military patrol in northeast Borno state, military and militia sources told AFP Tuesday.
Fighters from Daesh West Africa Province (Daesh-WAP) on Friday used explosives and guns to attack a column of more than 30 troops on foot patrol outside the town of Damask near the border with Niger, the sources said.
“We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by Daesh-WAP terrorists and many others are still missing,” a military officer said.
The soldiers, who were 25 kilometers (15 miles) from their base, dispersed in all directions following sustained gunfire from the militants, said the officer who asked not to be identified.
“The terrorists detonated an explosive device they had planted on the road in advance, increasing the casualties and confusion among the soldiers,” he said.
Eight soldiers managed to return to base while the rest remain missing, including their commander with the rank of a major, the officer said.
“A man who identified himself as an Daesh-WAP terrorist keeps answering the call to the commander’s mobile phone, suggesting he is in the hands of the terrorists,” he added.
Ya-Mulam Kadai, a spokesman for government-funded anti-militant militia assisting the military in Damask, gave the same casualty toll.
The nine bodies of the slain soldiers were recovered by a military search team deployed at the scene of the attack, he said.
The military did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
The Nigerian military has in recent weeks intensified ground operations against Daesh-WAP, particularly in its Sambisa forest stronghold, with the military making regular claims of killing huge numbers of militant fighters.
Daesh-WAP and rival Boko Haram factions have been attacking military targets, raiding bases, laying ambush and planting explosives against patrols on highways.
Nigeria’s insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million in the northeast since it erupted in 2009, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has spilled into neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Chad, leading the region to launch a military coalition to fight the militant groups.
