Story highlights Checkpoint attacked near massive prayer gathering

Three people and one attacker killed

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) Three people were killed at a Bangladesh checkpoint Thursday when gunmen carrying bombs tried to attack the country's biggest gathering to mark the Muslim Eid holiday.

More than 300,000 people took part in mass prayers in Sholakia, 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of the capital Dhaka, when the attack was launched at the checkpoint, Kishoregunj District Police Assistant Superintendent Shoaib Abu Shayal said.

The violence has shaken the country, as it appears to be the first attempt at a major attack directed entirely at Muslims.

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"The attackers' target was the congregation but the police were able to stop them from crossing the checkpoint," Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told CNN.

"This is an open area where a huge Eid gathering happens every year."

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