5 JMB militants behind Dhaka cafe siege held

Five top militants linked to a banned Islamist extremist group behind the July attack on an upmarket cafe in Dhaka that killed 22 people, including an Indian girl, have been arrested, Bangladesh police said on Thursday.

The militants – among them a trainer, an explosive expert and a finance coordinator – belonged to the Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and were arrested from Dhaka’s Uttara area, Mufti Mahmud Khan, director (media), at Rapid Action Battalion headquarters, said.

Those arrested were identified as Abdul Hakim Faridi, 40, Rajibul Islam, 29, Gazi Kamrus Salam Sohan, 27, Md Sohel Rana, 23, and Sheikh Md Abu Saleh, 42, – of Sarwar-Tamim faction.

The JMB, which is said to be ideologically inclined towards the Islamic State (IS) group, had claimed responsibility for the siege at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan area that killed 22 people. An Indian girl was among 17 foreigners killed in the attack.