Police have arrested five operatives of banned militant outfit Ansar-al-Islam from the capital’s Jatrabari area.

“The five members of the militant outfit were held during a raid at Chontek area in Jatrabari,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman (Public Relations and Media) told the media on Wednesday (May 1).

“The raid was conducted on Tuesday (Apr 30) night,” he said before adding, “20 detonators and two machetes were seized during the arrests.”

The arrestees have been identified as Md Saifullah, 26, Md Abdul Alim, 22, Md Abdul Aleem, 22, Md Foyzullah, 18, Md Zahirul Islam, 19, and Mainuddin alias Sajib, 19.

The arrestees told police during initial interrogation that they gathered in Jatrabari area with the intent to cause violence.

A case has been initiated over the arrests under the Anti-Terrorism Act, said Rahman.