Saturday, 2 July 2016

Bangladesh Terror: Twenty killed at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka

Twenty people, most of them foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh claimed by so-called Islamic State.
Gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka late on Friday before troops entered almost 12 hours later.

Six attackers were also killed and one was arrested, officials said. Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has declared two days of national mourning.

Nine Italians, seven Japanese and one US citizen and an Indian also died.
Bangladesh Army Brig Gen Naim Asraf Chowdhury said the victims had been "brutally" attacked with sharp weapons

Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said one other Italian was still unaccounted for. Many of the Italians reportedly worked in the garment industry.

Japan said one of its nationals was among 13 people rescued. The seven that died were consultants for Japan's foreign aid agency and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said they "were giving their all for the development of Bangladesh".

Two Sri Lankans were among those rescued
Who are the victims?

Nine Italians named by the Italian foreign ministry as: Cristian Rossi; Marco Tondat; Nadia Benedetti; Adele Puglisi; Simona Monti; Claudia Maria D'Antona; Vincenzo D'Allestro; Maria Rivoli and Claudio Cappelli

Seven Japanese. Names not released

Three Bangladeshis named in national media as Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain and Abinta Kabir, both students at Emory University in the US, and Ishrat Akhond. It is believed Abinta Kabir could also be a US citizen

One Indian. Tarushi Jain, 18, who was a student at the University of California, Berkeley
More about the victims

The siege began as diners gathered to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper said the gunmen tortured anyone who was unable to recite the Koran. They provided meals overnight for only the Bangladeshi captives, it said.

"It was an extremely heinous act," Ms Hasina said in a televised statement. "What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion.

Sumon Reza, a supervisor at the cafe in the Gulshan district of Dhaka, managed to flee to the roof when the attackers burst in.

"The whole building was shaking when they set off explosives," he told local media. He later jumped from the roof and escaped.

"From 08:00 it all started," said Rashila Rahim, who lives near the cafe. "Gunshots, tank sounds... It was like we were in the middle, and gunshots from all around."

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