Huge arms cache recovered in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka

Bangladeshi police recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from a channel on Saturday in capital Dhaka.

At least 108 pistols, 1,000 bullets, 189 magazines and 10 bayonets from the canal in Uttara of northern part of Dhaka were recovered, a Dhaka Metropolitan Police official said.

The official who did not like to be named said it was not known immediately whether militants have involved in the arms and ammunition.

Search for more arms in the canal near the country's main airport yet to be called off, he told Xinhua.

Police have cordoned off the canal area.

The recovery came a day after Bangladesh's weeklong anti-militants drive ended.

Since the beginning of the drive on June 10, at least 194 suspected militants and 14,376 other alleged criminals have been arrested.

Among the total 194 militants, 151 are members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or JMB.

JMB, campaigning for establishment of Islamic rule in Bangladesh, carried out a series of bombings in 63 out of the country's 64 districts, including capital Dhaka on August 17, 2005, leaving two people dead and 150 others injured.

Hundreds of JMB leaders and activists were rounded up while six top leaders of the group, including Shaikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged in 2007.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque earlier said the week-long clampdown was aimed at dismantling all terrorist outfits and their networks in the country.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a surge in violent attacks in recent years.

A number of secularist writers, bloggers and publishers have been killed or seriously injured in attacks carried out by extremists since 2013. Endit