2 killed in suspected militant attack at Eid gathering in Bangladesh

At least two people, including a policeman, were killed when a group of suspected radical Islamists hurled homemade bombs at security men guarding Eid prayers in Bangladesh on Thursday, officials said.
The attack occurred when about 300,000 people gathered in Kishoreganj, about 90 km north of the capital of Dhaka, to offer prayers on Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Bangladesh information minister said the target of the attack was a police convoy patrolling the religious gathering. The blast killed one police officer and one other person, Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said.
“Up to nine police constables have been injured in the attack,” Inu told Indian broadcaster CNN-News 18.
Indian news channel NDTV put the toll at four but that figure remains unconfirmed. The attack is probably a first on an Eid.
The violence comes just days after the country suffered a deadly hostage crisis in which 22 were killed, including 20 captives. It was the worst in a recent wave of extremist attacks in Bangladesh targeting atheists, religious minorities and other so-called enemies of Islam.
Although the Islamic State claimed credit for the attack, the government has blamed home-grown militant groups of waging the violence in order to create political chaos in the country and undermine the secular government.
Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo said Thursday’s explosion took place within one km of the Sholakia Eidgah grounds at about 9:20am, an hour before the Eid prayers.
The injured were sent to Myemensingh Medical College Hospital.
The Daily Star, one of Bangaldesh’s biggest newspaper, quoted sources in Kishoregunj as saying a group of six to seven militants led the attack on policemen when the latter were frisking people into the Eidgah grounds.
They also attacked the policemen with sharp weapons and lobbed homemade bombs.
Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanul Haque told the newspaper a constable from his barracks was killed in the attack and several others were injured.