3rd Ld Writethru: Cop, attacker dead after gunfight near Bangladesh's largest Eid congregation venue

A police constable and an attacker were killed and 10 people including several cops were injured as law enforcers exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen after several explosions on Thursday morning at the entrance of Sholakia Eid prayer ground in Kishoreganj district, some 117 km northeast of Dhaka.

Witnesses described hearing several explosions and subsequently exchange of gunfire between police and attackers at around 9:30 a.m. local time at the scene, where the largest congregation of prayer in Bangladesh is held on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Such attack on Eid day is said to be first time in Bangladesh. It was not known immediately who launched the attack.

A police official told Xinhua from Kishoreganj that security measures have been beefed up after the incidents of bomb explosions and gun fire in which a police constable and a gunmen whose identity was not known yet were killed, and 10 people including five to six policemen were injured.

"We're closely monitoring the situation," said the official who did not like to be named.

It was not known immediately whether the other attackers have managed to flee the scene or arrested by police.

The incident of explosions came about a week after terror attack in a restaurant in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulsan in which 20 people including 18 foreigners were killed. Enditem