Bangladesh ends 'militant' hunt

Many of the bomb attacks have targeted courts

An operation to find two suspected Islamic militants said to be hiding in Bangladesh's western Kushtia district has been called off, police say.

The hunt ended because Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai from the banned Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) could not be found.

Police say they have detained 10 people in the operation.

One thousand security personnel were involved in night-long operations, police chief Abdul Quyum said.

Earlier, security forces, including elite anti-crime force the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), had cordoned off a 5-sq km area in Kushtia district.

Police would not confirm if any of the 10 detained included JMB members.

The government blames the JMB for bomb attacks in the country since last August which have killed at least 28 people.