DHAKA: Bangladesh’s police arrested three more men on Friday suspected of killing of a Hindu priest, the latest incident of increasing violence in the south Asian nation.

The three are members of the banned Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who were arrested in the northern district of Panchagarh where the attack took place. Three others were arrested previously over the murder of Jogeswar Roy on Sunday.

“We are near to an end of a successful investigation over this killing,” divisional police chief Humayun Kabir told AFP.

“Two other men were also involved, we hope to arrest them very soon.” One of the men arrested on Friday admitted involvement in the attack, said Humayun Kabir, the deputy inspector general of police in charge of northern Bangladesh.

Guns, home made bombs, bullets and bladed weapons were also recovered from the suspects, he said.

Bangladesh has seen an upsurge in attacks by militant groups on minorities.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government has blamed the attacks on the JMB and other local militant groups and accuses the political opposition of trying to destabilise the country.

A long-running political crisis has radicalized opponents of the government and analysts say extremists pose a growing danger.

Hindus, the country’s largest minority, make up nearly 10 percent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people.

Police said the temple attack was perpetrated by a local militant group, while Daesh claimed responsibility in a statement issued via social media.

Bangladesh has experienced a wave of militant violence in recent months, including a series of bomb attacks on mosques and Hindu temples.

The government denies that Daesh has a presence in the Muslim-majority country of 160 million people.