IS claims credit for bombings on Bangladeshi Shias' Ashura mourning procession gatherings

A young Bangladeshi was killed while 70 others were injured in the explosion of three home-made bombs, police said on Saturday, in the third attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.

According to the jihadist threat monitoring portal, SITE Intelligence Group, IS claimed responsibility for the bombings in an online statement.

The authenticity of the statement has not been confirmed by Bangladesh police.

Thousands of Shia Muslims gathered in the old Dhaka's Hussaini Dalan, a key venue for majlis or gatherings of Ashura, where the bombs were detonated early Saturday.

Ashura, or the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, is observed in Bangladesh as well as in other Muslim countries to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, and his followers.

IS had earlier claimed the killings of an Italian and a Japanese national in Bangladesh.

Kunio Hoshi, the Japanese, was gunned down four days after Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was shot dead in Dhaka on Sept. 28.

Dhaka Metrpolitan Police Commissioner Asaduuzaman Miah said Saturday morning that the bomb attack was premeditated and could be part of a bigger plot to destabilize the South Asian country.

"I don't think extremists or Sunni sympathizers launched the attack," Miah said, although he did not elaborate.

For his part, Police Chief AKM Shahidul Huq said vested interest groups, which are against the trials of war criminals in the country, may have launched the attack to create instability.

Following the fresh attack, the UK and Australia have updated travel warnings for their citizens in Bangladesh.

Since the killing of the two foreigners, countries including the United States have repeatedly raised alarms of the presence of Islamic State in Bangladesh.

But the Bangladeshi government categorically ruled out the presence of IS link in the country. Enditem