Bangladesh commandos rescue 78 civilians in major anti-militant drive

High alert: Police officers standing guard after a bomber was killed in a blast in front of a police checkpoint at Dhaka’s international airport. — AFP

Dhaka: Bangladesh commandos stormed a hideout of suspected extremists in the country’s northeast, rescuing at least 78 civilians, in a major anti-militant drive.

The commandos backed by armoured personnel carriers launched the operation after a more than 30-hour standoff with the extremists who holed up in a five-storey building in the city Sylhet.