The ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a message attributed to the group on Twitter. (File Photo)
- Hindu priest beheaded by unidentified attackers in Bangladesh
- Islamic State claims responsibility for attack in message posted online
- Security agencies probing motive for Hindu priest's killing
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DHAKA, Bangladesh:
The top priest of a Hindu temple in northern Bangladesh was beheaded by unidentified attackers on Sunday, officials said, in a killing that was claimed on a social media account attributed to the Islamic State.
The priest, Joggeshwar Das, 50, was attacked by two men at around 7 a.m. while performing a prayer on his veranda in a village in northern Panchagarh district, about 250 miles from the capital, Dhaka, said Gias Uddin, a senior police official in the district.
Uddin said the men hurled a bomb and fired two rounds of bullets as they fled the home of Das to meet a third man who waited on a motorcycle. A Hindu devotee who had come to pray in the temple near the home was hit by a bullet, but his condition was not critical, Uddin said.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a message attributed to the group on Twitter, according to the SITE intelligence group, which monitors global terrorist organizations.
Social media accounts linked to the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks in Bangladesh, including the killing in September of two foreigners, the shooting of a Roman Catholic missionary and a shooting at a Shiite mosque in November, which left one dead.
Bangladesh's government has reacted skeptically to the presence of the Islamic State, instead placing blame for some of the attacks on groups affiliated with opposition parties.
Das, who was unmarried, established the temple 19 years ago on land that he inherited from his father. Dr. Raziul Karim, who examined the body at a hospital in the city of Panchagarh, confirmed that Das had been decapitated.
Security agencies are investigating the motive for the killing. Witnesses said that they saw the two men, between the ages of 25 and 30, one with his face covered by a scarf.
"I am not sure whether we will get justice or not, only government and administration know about it," said Rabindranath Roy, 55, the brother of the slain priest. "But I want justice for the killing of my innocent brother."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The priest, Joggeshwar Das, 50, was attacked by two men at around 7 a.m. while performing a prayer on his veranda in a village in northern Panchagarh district, about 250 miles from the capital, Dhaka, said Gias Uddin, a senior police official in the district.
Uddin said the men hurled a bomb and fired two rounds of bullets as they fled the home of Das to meet a third man who waited on a motorcycle. A Hindu devotee who had come to pray in the temple near the home was hit by a bullet, but his condition was not critical, Uddin said.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a message attributed to the group on Twitter, according to the SITE intelligence group, which monitors global terrorist organizations.
Social media accounts linked to the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks in Bangladesh, including the killing in September of two foreigners, the shooting of a Roman Catholic missionary and a shooting at a Shiite mosque in November, which left one dead.
Bangladesh's government has reacted skeptically to the presence of the Islamic State, instead placing blame for some of the attacks on groups affiliated with opposition parties.
Das, who was unmarried, established the temple 19 years ago on land that he inherited from his father. Dr. Raziul Karim, who examined the body at a hospital in the city of Panchagarh, confirmed that Das had been decapitated.
Security agencies are investigating the motive for the killing. Witnesses said that they saw the two men, between the ages of 25 and 30, one with his face covered by a scarf.
"I am not sure whether we will get justice or not, only government and administration know about it," said Rabindranath Roy, 55, the brother of the slain priest. "But I want justice for the killing of my innocent brother."
© 2016, The New York Times News Service
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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