Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia Muslim mosque in Bangladesh on Thursday, in which a cleric was killed and three other people were wounded.
At least five attackers fired on Shi'ite worshippers during evening prayers on November 26 at the mosque in the village of Haripur in the northern Bogra district of Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division.
The incident comes a month after a grenade attack on a Shia shrine in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, which killed one and injured 80.
But Muntasirul Islam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said he doubted the veracity of ISIL's statements, adding past claims by the group could not be corroborated.
Two suspects have been detained by police for questioning.
"The attackers entered the mosque and opened hearth on the devotees after locking the primary gate after which fled instantly after the capturing", police official Ahsan Habib stated.
But police said on Thursday home-grown militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen was behind the attack and arrested five members of the banned outfit.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist activity, said on its website that the ISIS had claimed responsibility in a message posted on Twitter.
Police officials said a search operation is underway to arrest the perpetrators of the attack.
But Islam say that local armed groups were behind past attacks, not ISIL.
The government says the jihadist group has no presence in Bangladesh and instead accuses the opposition of trying to destabilise the country of 160 million mainly moderate Muslims.
Two people were killed in the Dhaka attack, while several dozens were injured in varying degrees.
But the Australian foreign office said since September a number of attacks claimed by the IS have occurred in Bangladesh, some targeting foreigners.
The Australian government yesterday said it will withdraw its volunteers from Bangladesh by December 31.
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