DHAKA, Dec 17: Bangladesh’s elite security force has arrested a regional commander and seized large caches of explosives as part of a crackdown on militants waging a suicide bombing campaign to impose Islamic law, a statement on Saturday said.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Mohammad Abu Isa and three junior militants of banned Islamic group Jamayetul Mujahideen at a hideout in western Rajshahi city late Friday, the RAB said in a statement.

The RAB alleged Isa, 27, was head of Jamayetul’s operations in Rajshahi, one of six administrative divisions of Bangladesh. And he had confessed to organising blasts on August 17 in the region, the RAB said.

Police have blamed Jamayetul Mujahideen for 434 synchronised blasts across the Muslim nation on August 17 and subsequent suicide bombings in several cities and towns killing at least 24 people and four suicide bombers.—AFP