Khulna Correspondent: Dhaka, Aug-24,

Khulna Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday claimed to have arrested two members of the banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam.

The two been identified as Nasim, son of Nazrul Islam of the Mohammadnagar area of Labanchara, and Hasan, son of Khokon Mollah of the same area.

A number of bombs, bomb-making materials, a motorcycle, a mobile phone and some jihadi books have been seized from their possession, CID officials said.

Khulna Metropolitan and District CID assistant superintendent Tapas Karmakar said that a CID team, acting on a tip-off, conducted a raid close to Moylapota mosque in the city on Monday noon.

The CID sleuths nabbed the duo when they tried to escape, Tapas said. During intense interrogation, they told cops that they were active members of Ansar's military wing and had been involved in making bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Post-interrogation, the CID sleuths raided Nasim's rented house in the city around 3 pm and seized an air gun, 63 rounds of pellets, 283 grams of gunpowder, 405 bearing balls and other items.

"Legal steps are being initiated in this regard," said the CID official.

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