Incident Summary:

03/25/2017: An explosive device detonated targeting police officers and bystanders witnessing a security operation in Shibbari, Sylhet, Bangladesh. This was one of two coordinated bombings in the area on this date. At least seven people, including a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) intelligence chief, were killed and 38 people were injured across both blasts. The Islamic State in Bangladesh claimed responsibility for the incidents; however, authorities questioned the veracity of this claim and suspected that Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) carried out the attacks.

GTD ID:
201703250001

When:
2017-03-25

Country:
Bangladesh

Region:
South Asia

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Sylhet

City:
Shibbari

Location Details:
The incident occurred in the Ashidron area of Maulvibazar district.

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Bombing/Explosion
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Police
Name of Entity Bangladesh Police
Specific Description Officers
Nationality of Target Bangladesh
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Not Applicable
Specific Description Civilians
Nationality of Target Bangladesh
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Unknown
Extent of Property Damage Unknown
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Unknown Explosive Type
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information The victims included Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad, Wahidul Islam Opu, and Janaatul Fahim. Casualty numbers represent a division of the total number of those killed and wounded across incidents 201703250001 and 201703250002. Additionally, casualty numbers conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the most recent reliable estimates are reported here.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Islamic State in Bangladesh (suspected) Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Posted to website, blog, etc.)
Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) (suspected) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 4 Fatalities / 19 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 4
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 19
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Twin bombings target crowd in Bangladesh," BBC, March 25, 2017.
"Bangladesh elite force intelligence chief dies from blast injuries," Xinhua News Agency, March 31, 2017.
"Blasts kill 6 as Bangladesh troops raid militant hideout," Straits Times, March 26, 2017.