Bangladesh Eid Al-Fitr Bomb Attack: 3 People Killed During Gathering At End Of Ramadan

Two officers and a woman died in Bangladesh after assailants hurled bombs Thursday morning at police guarding an Eid al-Fitr gathering at the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The attack comes about a week after suspected Islamic State group gunmen killed 20 hostages at an upscale cafe in the capital city of Dhaka.

At least 12 people were injured in Thursday's attack. About 300,000 were gathered at the grounds at the time the violence occurred. The assailants had attacked police with “sharp weapons,” Mohammad Azimuddin Biswas, chief district administrator, reportedly said. One police officer died in the blast and another was stabbed to death, according to reports.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the government said it was carried out by domestic militants fighting to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government and form Islamic rule in the Muslim-majority country.

Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said that one of the attackers was taken into police custody and another one was killed.

“It is not yet clear who was behind the attack but these terrorists are against the true religious practices of Islam and against the secular democratic government of Sheikh Hasina,” he told CNN. “Eid congregations all across Bangladesh were peaceful except this incident.”

It is not known how many attackers were involved, but Zillur Rahman, the district council administrator, reportedly said that they are believed to have been young and probably in their early twenties.

The attack comes just days after the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, warned it would carry out more attacks in Bangladesh. The South Asian country is also reeling under last Friday night’s cafe siege in Dhaka. ISIS claimed the Dhaka attack but local police said officials were investigating to confirm whether the terror group was actually involved. Pictures of three of the six gunmen were posted on social media by ISIS and were reportedly identified as Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz and Meer Saameh Mubasheer.