That’s despite a rising tide of extremist attacks on foreign nationals and atheist writers in recent months.
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A group of five assailants stormed the mosque with machine guns, opening fire on worshippers in the Shibganj mosque located about five miles from India’s eastern border. They opened fire after locking the main gate, local media reported, quoting eyewitnesses.
The statement from the IS offshoot said “the soldiers of the caliphate targeted a place of worship for the apostates” built with funds from Iran.
Additional police have been deployed in Bogra district as the situation is tense following the shooting.
Police conducted raids after the attack and detained two suspects for questioning today.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Friday for a deadly attack on worshippers at a Shiite mosque in northern Bangladesh, as fears grow of a rise in sectarian violence in the mainly Muslim country.
Earlier on Thursday, police said they had killed a top militant suspected to have masterminded the October 24 attack on the shrine in Dhaka.
The government has rejected ISIS claim of involvement in other attacks and says local militants are involved.
He said the men were picked up from the area of the attack.
Bilal Hussain, a Shi’ite community leader in New Delhi, said the mosque attack and last month’s bomb attack on the procession appeared to be new attempts to create a divide among Muslims.
Ansarullah Bangla Team, or ABT, came to light as an active Islamist group in 2013, when secular blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was killed by unidentified attackers in front of his home in Dhaka.
“The government must ensure security for all minorities including Shias and find out and punish the attackers strictly”, he said.
“Albany threw five grenades at the crowd at Hossaini Dalan (Shia shrine)”, Islam added, without using a formal name for the militant.
In another statement on the day, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Gibson condemned the attack.
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“This is not right”. At least 20 people were saying evening prayers at the time on Thursday.
