Counterterrorism officials suspect that “Neo JMB” militants have built their hideouts in Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Rangamati districts apart from Chittagong.

“The militants have set up dens in those areas as it would help their safe movement through the sea. A plan to recruit Rohingyas could be another reason,” an official of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the DMP told The Daily Star yesterday.

The official said he came to know this after quizzing Ahmed Azwad Imtiaz Talukder alias Omi, a “Neo JMB” leader in decision-making position of the outfit.

The capital has become very unsafe for the militants as many of their members were arrested and killed in pre-emptive operations by law enforcers, he added.

Another CTTC official, who also interrogated Omi, said the suspected militant told them that there are three dens of the terror group in Chittagong.

Omi along with another suspected militant Mahmud Hasan was arrested on March 7 after they attacked policemen at a checkpoint in Comilla.

'MILITANT COUSINS'

Chittagong police say two of the four militants killed during the operation “Assault-16” at a house named Chhayaneer in Sitakunda upazila's Premtala area on Thursday were cousins who had been missing since leaving their houses in the capital's Mirpur, reports our staff correspondent from the district.

Officials suspect that the other two -- a man and a woman -- are sister and brother-in-law of suspected militant Jasim alias Jahirul Islam, who was arrested with his wife Arjina from another militant den, in Amirabad area of the same upazila, on Wednesday.

When the couple were shown photos of the two cousins, they said the duo looked like the youths who went out of the Amirabad house with a laptop just before police came on Wednesday, said a CTTC official.

Asked why his sister Jobaida and brother-in-law Kamal attempted to “blow themselves up”, Jasim told the official that they have instruction that if law enforcers raid their home, “they will have to turn it into a graveyard”.     

Meanwhile, the family, which caught Jasim and his wife on Wednesday with the help of friends and contacted police, has raised security concern. Police said if the family members ask for security, they will arrange it.   

The Daily Star earlier had learnt that the two cousins had been missing since they left unannounced their Purbo Monipur houses in Mirpur on August 9 last year. Talking to this newspaper at that time, the family members and relatives feared the two might have been brainwashed into taking the path of militancy.

Two general diaries were filed over their going missing.

Ahmed Rafid al Hasan, 20, and Aiad Hasan, 21, grew up in the same neighbourhood and were very close, another cousin said.

Rafid lived on the fourth-floor apartment of a six-storey building and Aiad in another flat about 200 yards away.

Rafid, son of Taufiq Hasan and Nilufar Yasmin, and Aiad, son of late Ali Hasan and Munmun Ahmed, completed A-level from reputed English medium schools in the capital.

Both are well-off families.

Yesterday, during a media briefing at the district police headquarters, Chittagong SP Noor E Alam Mina said, “We have got primary identities of the [four] militants. But we cannot confirm it before DNA tests and other examinations.” 

The SP assumed that the militant woman killed in the operation was the mother of the child who was found dead at Chhayaneer.

During Thursday's raid, when the SWAT members were on the roof of the Chhayaneer house, three militants moved towards them using the staircase with grenades in their hands. A fourth militant, a woman wearing a “suicide vest”, was right behind the three.

The SWAT members from behind their shields opened fire. Shouting “Allahu Akbar”, the three suspects tried to hurl the grenades at the SWAT personnel but those exploded near them and tore their bodies apart.

The explosions also left two SWAT personnel injured.

The woman died after being shot. She fell to the ground before she could blow herself up.

The bodies were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for autopsy.

Earlier on March 7, a huge cache of explosives was recovered in a drive at Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong. 

“There are many industries in Sitakunda and Mirsarai areas of Chittagong. This is why militants might have chosen the places as their targets,” the SP said.

Meanwhile, four cases were filed over the Sitakunda raid. Two militants Jasim and Arjina were named in the cases. Many unnamed persons were also made accused, said police sources.

A Chittagong court last night granted a 12-day remand each for Jasim and Arjina in two cases filed under arms and anti-terrorism acts.