Operation Twilight in Sylhet

The 2017 South Surma Upazila bombings were a series of attacks in South Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh on 25 March 2017. The attack targeted Bangladesh Armed Forces gathered near a militant occupied compound in Sylhet, Bangladesh. There were two suicide bombings which killed four civilians and two police officers and wounded more than 40, several critically; an army lieutenant colonel died from his injuries. Later, other bombs exploded and gunfire was reported.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for this terror attack. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal denied the claims of the Islamic State and blamed the local Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the attacks. The Bangladesh Army later found the dead bodies of four militants at the suspected hideout.

On Thursday, 23 March 2017, the Bangladesh Police surrounded a suspected militant hideout in South Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh. The hideout was located in a housing complex which consisted of two apartment buildings. The police unit was reinforced with personnel from a rapid reaction battalion on the Friday. On Saturday, the 1st Para Commando Battalion took charge of operations.

Security forces established a three kilometre perimeter around the militant hideout. Operation Twilight was launched by the 1st Para Commando Battalion of the Bangladesh Army under the command of Major General Anwarul Momen, GOC 17th Infantry Division in Jalalabad Cantonment. The operation was launched on Saturday morning at 8 am. Two militants were killed in the initial attack, one of whom detonated a suicide vest. The commandos rescued 78 civilians who had been trapped in the building since Thursday.