Nine militants of Islamist outfit Allahr Dal were captured by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) from different parts of Kushtia city yesterday.

Meanwhile in Barisal, three activists including a leader of Islamist militant group Hijbut Tawhid were apprehended by Sharikal police on Monday night.

Our Kushtia correspondent reports, one of the captured militants, Tasnim-ul-Islam, 23, is a son of Wahedul Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir of Kushtia district unit.

The other arrestees are Rawnak Hossain, 23, Nazmul Haq Jewel, 22, Tipu Sultan, 36, Zahir Uddin, 25, Bappi Sahrier, 30, Saqul Islam, 28, Murad Sarif, 23, and Lokman Hossain, 21.

Rab earlier launched raids at various parts of the city on Monday night in search of the militants. The operation ended before dawn yesterday.

A team of Rab 12 led by Major Hasib first arrested Rawnak Hossain on Monday evening. He arrived in Kushtia several days back and was regrouping the militants in the district, according to Rab 12.

The law enforcers then apprehended the eight other militants from different areas of the city with the information gathered from Rawnak, Rab officials said in a press briefing held at Kushtia Rab office.

The arrestees admitted to being involved in regrouping activists of the Allahr Dal, founded by Matin Mehedi, a detained Islamist militant kingpin, claimed Rab officials.

The arrestees were handed over to Kushtia sadar police. Police will soon produce them in court.

Our Barisal correspondent reports, Sharikal police arrested three activists including a leader of Hijbut Tawhid while they were propagating militant ideology at Adhuna-Senerhut bazar under Sharikal union of Gournadi upazila on Monday night.

The three arrestees are Alamgir Howladar, regional leader of the outfit, and activists Jamal Sharif and Anis Sheikh.

Several books and leaflets written by organisation chief Bayzid Khan Ponni from Karotia, Tangail have been seized from the arrestees, said M Mahbub, subinspector in charge of Sharikal police camp.

The three were handed over to Gournadi police. Manzur Morshed, sub-inspector and second officer of the police station, lodged a case under section 54. The arrestees were produced before a court on Tuesday afternoon with a sevenday remand prayer for interrogation.

The magistrate of the court sent the arrestees to jail and fixed next week for the hearing of the remand prayer.