Updated

Dhaka/New Delhi, Jul 2 (IANS): Islamic State militants slaughtered at least 20 foreigners, including an Indian girl, with sharp weapons before security forces rescued 13 hostages and gunned down six gunmen on Saturday morning, ending a long drawn-out overnight siege at a Bangladesh cafe popular with both locals as well as foreign visitors, officials said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed the killing of Tarushi Jain of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh. "I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi. I have spoken to her father Sanjeev Jain and conveyed our deepest condolences. The country is with them in this hour of grief," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

In Dhaka, Brigadier General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, director of military operations, told reporters that "most of the victims were killed brutally with sharp weapons".

He said their bodies were found lying on the blood splattered floor of the restaurant along with unexploded IEDs, sharp weapons and a communication device after "Operation Thunderbolt" which was launched to end the standoff between government forces and suspected Islamic State militants.

Officials were still trying to ascertain the nationalities of the other victims.

Tuhin Mohammad Masud, a commander of the elite Rapid Action Battalion, said one of the gunmen, who was injured in the shootout, has been arrested. "We have gunned down at least six terrorists."

The attack, which also left two policemen dead, began Friday evening after heavily armed gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery, a popular hangout for foreigners, in the high-security and affluent Gulshan diplomatic zone of the Bangladesh capital. The neighbourhood was considered safe with high walls, security guard booths and gated driveways at many entry points of the enclave.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the "extremely heinous act" and said 13 hostages were rescued.

"What kind of Muslims are these people? They don`t have any religion," Hasina said in a televised address to the nation. "People must resist these terrorists. My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh."

Officials said that the 13 rescued hostages included many foreigners, including a Japanese and two Sri Lankans. At least eight Japanese citizens were among the hostages.

Earlier, army men and navy commandos stormed the café to bring an end to the deadly siege in the morning after night-long intermittent exchange of fire and explosions. Armoured vehicles moved in the Gulshan neighbourhood.

At least two police officers were killed in earlier exchanges of fire and 30 police officers were injured.

The Bangladeshi branch of the Islamic State claimed the attack through its mouthpiece, the Amaq news agency, saying 24 people "of different nationalities" were killed and 40 others were injured.

Witnesses described the chaos as the gunmen shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) when they stormed into the café and began firing. Cafe worker Sumon Reza said he escaped as the gunmen came in.

The Daily Star reported that hostages were made to recite verses from the Quran and those who could were not harmed.

"The others were tortured by the gunmen," Rezaul Karim, father of one of the hostages Hasnat Karim, told the daily. Karim had gone to celebrate his 13-year-old daughter's birthday along with his wife and son Rayan, 8. The family was rescued early in the morning.

This is for the first time that militants in Bangladesh have held foreigners hostage. But the deaths in the attack are the latest in a series of dozens of deadly attacks by Islamic State and Al Qaeda-linked militants targeting progressive academics, writers, activists and religious minorities in the majority Muslim country.

The attack came just hours after a Hindu priest was killed in Bangladesh on Friday. The attack drew calls for the Bangladesh government to act against terrorism firmly.

Neighbouring India called for quick action to adopt the long-stalled Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) and expressed disappointment that the UN General Assembly failed to push for its early adoption.

"The perpetrators of terrorist attacks as well as the states that support and sponsor or provide safe havens to terrorists or terrorist groups must be made accountable," India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said, speaking at the General Assembly.

Earlier Update

20 foreigners killed as Bangladesh's worst hostage crisis ends

Dhaka, Jul 2 (PTI): Twenty foreigners were brutally murdered with sharp weapons by ISIS militants inside a restaurant popular with expatriates here in the high-security diplomatic zone before elite commandos stormed the cafe today and killed them, ending Bangladesh's worst hostage crisis.

Director of Military Operations Brigadier General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury said the militants slaughtered 20 hostages before the joint operation led by the armed forces began. Most of those killed were found with their throat slit, he added. "Army Para commando Unit-1 led the operation and killed six terrorists within 13 minutes," Chowdhury told reporters.

The mission codenamed 'Operation Thunderbolt' was launched after the Prime Minister ordered the army to intervene to end the hostage crisis, he said.

All 20 hostages killed were foreigners, with most being Italian or Japanese. Two senior police officers were also killed in the gunbattle that began last night.

He said the bodies of the victims were recovered during a search in the Holey Artisan Bakery compound after the operation. The bodies were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital morgue for autopsy to confirm their identity.

Gunshots and sounds of explosion rocked the area at 7:40 AM (local time) as security forces launched the final offensive to end the siege.

Soon after the offensive, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the end of siege and said security forces "successfully" wrapped up their operation, freeing 13 hostages after killing six terrorists and capturing one militant at the Spanish restaurant.

"I thank Alah as we could destroy the terrorists and rescue the hostages," Hasina said, adding that "none of the terrorists could flee the scene, six of them were killed on the spot and one was captured alive."

Hasina vowed to do everything to "uproot the militants and violent extremists" from Bangladesh. "It was an extremely heinous act. What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion," she said in a televised speech, referring to the terrorists.

"They (gunmen) defied the call of Ramadan's tarabi (special evening) prayers and went to kill people...The way they killed people is intolerable. They don't have any religion...terrorism is their religion," said Hasina, flanked by Army chief General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq.

Among those rescued were Indian, Sri Lankan and Japanese nationals, media reports said. Hasina said around 30 people were injured in the attack.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency, nearly four hours after the hostage crisis unfolded, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence group, which monitors jihadist activity online.

It later issued a number of photographs of what it said were scenes from inside the restaurant. The pictures showed what appeared to be a number of bodies lying in pools of blood.

Amaq claimed that 24 people had been killed in the attack carried out by what it described as "ISIS commandos".

Heavy firing and explosions continued at least for an hour after the operation began this morning. A resident of a building, just 50 yards from the scene, reported spotting snipers firing from their guns.

Shots were also fired from armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Grenades were also apparently exploded. Later, the APCs broke through the walls and entered the restaurant premises.
After hours of quiet at the Holey Artisan Bakery where terrorists were holding hostages, a fresh round of heavy gunfire rang out in the morning.

"Our law enforcement agencies responded promptly soon after the terrorists raided the restaurant...as they were about to take action, two police officers were killed by the terrorists," Hasina said.

She said the situation prompted the authorities to call out army commandos from cantonments in north-eastern Sylhet, suburban Savar and the Dhaka garrison overnight. "At around 4 in the morning, the operational plan was laid out and the security forces launched the assault," she said.

Army men in armoured personnel carriers (APCs) had moved in with commandos. Over 1,000 rounds of gunshots were fired and almost 100 blasts were heard in the first half an hour of the raid, media reports said.

Last night, terrorists shouting "Allahu Akbar" barged into the cafe, frequented by diplomats and expatriates, and opened indiscriminate fire at around 9:20 PM (local time). The military-led rescue operation today was launched jointly by a navy commando squad, paramilitary BGB, elite anti-crime RAB along with special police units.

The deceased policemen have been identified as officer in-charge of nearby Banani police station, Salahuddin Ahmed and Additional Commissioner of Police Rabiul. An Argentine national and a local escaped after taking refuge in a nearby house when the gunmen entered the restaurant.

Police said they have detained two employees of the eatery for questioning. The Muslim-majority Bangladesh has witnessed a wave of deadly attacks on religious minorities and secular bloggers by suspected Islamist militants. A 48-year-old Hindu priest was today stabbed and critically injured by unidentified assailants in Bangladesh's Satkhira district.

Earlier yesterday, a Hindu priest and a Buddhist leader were brutally hacked to death by machete-wielding Islamic State militants while another Hindu man survived a bid on his life.

Earlier Update

Bangladesh commandos storm Dhaka cafe, some hostages rescued

Dhaka, Jul 2 (PTI/Reuters): Gunfighting at a besieged restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital ended on Saturday and between eight and ten hostages were rescued by commandos who were still inside the building, a police official said.

The number of gunmen and hostages still in the restaurant was not clear, Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a deputy director at the Rapid Action Battalion force, told Reuters

Gunshots and sounds of explosion started to rock the area at 7:40 AM (local time) as security forces launched an offensive to end the 11-hour-long hostage crisis at a cafe in Dhaka's diplomatic zone Gulshan.

Armed terrorists are believed to be holding captive at least 20 people at the cafe in the diplomatic zone. Unconfirmed reports said many of the hostages had been freed from the restaurant but were injured.

After hours of quiet at the Holey Artisan Bakery where terrorists were holding hostages, a fresh round of heavy gunfire rang out, witnesses told CNN.

The hostage crisis followed a Friday night gun-battle with police that left at least two senior officers dead and 40 people injured.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency, nearly four hours after the hostage crisis unfolded, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence group, which monitors jihadi activity online.

Amaq also claimed that 20 people had been killed in the attack. At least nine terrorists shouting "Allahu Akbar" barged into the Holey Artisan Bakery, frequented by diplomats and expatriates, and opened indiscriminate fire at around 9:20 PM (local time) yesterday.

Army chief Gen Shafiul Huq was overseeing the commando operation. Prior to beginning of the operation, armoured vehicles were brought in and special troops from different law enforcement agencies were seen taking position around the eatery.

Security officials had issued instructions to people in the neighbourhood to stay indoors.
Local media reports, meanwhile, said that the father of a teenage Indian girl, who was believed to be among the hostages, urged authorities to expedite negotiations for her safe release.

Ambulances were seen coming out of the Gulshan Road, the scene of the hostage crisis, carrying wounded hostages. The number of rescued people was 13, witnesses and media reports said.

A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said two of the rescued persons were foreigners. The military-led rescue operation was launched jointly by a navy commando squad, paramilitary BGB, elite anti-crime RAB along with special police units.

Military jeeps were seen making their ways towards the Spanish restaurant. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack but according to CNN, senior US officials believe that the attack has been probably carried out by al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-continent, which was declared as a terrorist organisation by the US only a day earlier.

Five of the hostages were said to be Japanese, according to a driver who dropped them at the restaurant. Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, Mario Palmer, said seven of his countrymen are being held captive.

However, the total number of hostages still remains uncertain. According to a local news channel, one of the persons being held captive, messaged his relative that the terrorists are using them as human shields.

A hostage was also seen tied up in a chair on the balcony of the restaurant. The deceased policemen have been identified as officer in-charge of nearby Banani police station, Salahuddin Ahmed and Additional Commissioner of Police Rabiul, identified only by his first name.

An Argentine national and a local escaped after taking refuge in a nearby house when the gunmen entered the restaurant.

Police said they have detained two employees of the eatery for questioning. A Bangladeshi man, managed to call up his relative and told him to ask police not to fire, as he feared the gunmen would kill them all. He said there were around 20 foreigners present at the restaurant during the attack, according to media reports.

A kitchen staff of the restaurant, who managed to escape, said several armed men entered the restaurant and took the chief chef hostage.

"They set off several crude bombs triggering panic," he added. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in touch with security agencies over the incident.

The Muslim-majority Bangladesh has been fighting a wave of deadly attacks on religious minorities and secular bloggers by suspected Islamist militants.

Earlier yesterday, a Hindu priest and a Buddhist leader were brutally hacked to death by machete-wielding Islamic State militants while another Hindu man survived a bid on his life.

Earlier Report

Gunmen storm Dhaka restaurant, take hostages; 1 killed

Dhaka, Jul 1 (PTI): A fierce gunbattle broke out tonight between Bangladeshi security forces and unidentifed gunmen who stormed a popular restaurant in Dhaka's high-security Gulshan diplomatic area where several people, including foreigners, have been held hostage.

A police official, who was injured in the intermittent firing by the gunmen shouting "Allahu Akbar" from inside the Holey Artisan Bakery, succumbed to his injuries late tonight.

The armed men, whose number could not be ascertained, barged into the restaurant, popular with expatriates and diplomats, and opened fire at around 9:20 PM (local time).

Several foreigners are believed to have been taken hostage inside the restaurant in the upscale area, police said.

"We are trying to negotiate with the gunmen holed up inside the restaurant," Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) chief Benazir Ahmed told newsmen.

The attackers hurled bombs from inside the restaurant, and were firing intermittently, injuring policemen, including an Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and some people at the restaurant.

Firing of gunshots and sounds of explosions were heard from time to time near the restaurant. MEA sources in New Delhi said they were monitoring the situation in Dhaka and trying to ascertain the details.

Local media reports said that the number of gunmen could be as high as 20 but there was no official word on it.

A large number of policemen and personnel from the RAB have cordoned off the area.

A kitchen staff of the bakery, who managed to escape, said several armed men entered the restaurant around 8:45 PM and took the chief chef hostage, media reports said.

"They set off several crude bombs triggering panic," he added.