Islamic state claims responsibility for attack on mosque in Bangladesh

Reporting from Dhaka, Bangladesh —  Islamic State has reportedly claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a mosque in northwestern Bangladesh.

The militant group, based in Syria and Iraq, made the claim early Sunday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant activity. If true, it would be the second attack claimed by Islamic State in Bangladesh, following the shooting death of an Italian man in September.

In the latest attack, which was carried out Friday, 10 people were injured when a bomber blew himself up at a mosque for minority Ahmadiyya Muslims in the Rajshahi region. About 100 people were gathered for Friday prayer at the time, police said.

The mosque is in the city of Bagmara Upazila, some 150 miles from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.

The radical group identified the bomber as “Abu al-Fida al-Benghali” in a communiqué distributed on Twitter on Saturday, according to SITE.

The announcement erroneously claimed that dozens of people had been killed and injured in the attack. It used a derogatory term for the Ahmadiyya Muslims, SITE said.

Bangladesh government and law enforcement agencies have denied the presence of the Middle East-based group in Bangladesh. Police investigators said they suspected the outlawed Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh militant group in the Rajshahi attack.

Authorities said they had not identified the attacker, but that it appeared to be a man around 20 years old. He was wearing an explosives vest, according to Dr. Enamul Haque, who performed an autopsy.

Police suspect the bomber had an accomplice, who fled after the blast, said Motiar Rahman, officer-in-charge at the Bagmara police station.

Kader is a special correspondent