DHAKA, Bangladesh, Oct. 24 (UPI) — The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for three bombings in Bangladesh that left one dead and dozens injured during a religious procession Saturday.
The bombs exploded near the Hussaini Dalan as thousands were gathered in honor of the Shiite Muslims’ holiday of Ashura, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring about 80. Police said the bombs appeared to be handmade and two suspects were arrested.
SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based terrorist monitoring organization, said a social-media account operated by the IS issued a statement saying “soldiers of the Caliphate in Bangladesh” were able to detonate bombs in a temple of “polytheists in the city of Dhaka, during the holding of their polytheist rituals.”
The government, however, has continually dismissed the existence of extremists working in the country. Police have formed a three-person team to investigate the incident. Leaders in Bangladesh’s small Shia community said the religious procession has never been targeted in its 400-year history in the country. The people of Bangladesh are predominantly Sunni Muslim.
The bombing was the third act of violence the IS has claimed in Bangladesh, after the murders of an Italian aid worker and Japanese farmer.
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