Daesh Hits Bangladesh: 13 Hostages Freed, 6 Gunmen Killed

Local Editor

Bangladeshi police said they rescued 13 hostages and killed six Daesh-linked [the Arabic acronym for the terrorist "ISIS" group] gunmen after security forces ended a siege at a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.

"Three of them are foreigners. Ten locals," said Tuhin Mohammad Masud, a commander of Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion, which raided Holey Artisan Bakery and engaged in a gunfight with the attackers.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police reported Saturday morning that the café is free of gunmen now.

The scene of the attack is popular with expatriates, diplomats and middle-class families, located in the vicinity of the US Embassy.

It was late on Friday that a group of armed members attacked the upscale cafe in the diplomatic area of the capital at around 21:20, taking around 20 people, including foreigners, hostage.

Police further noted that eight to nine gunmen armed with assault rifles and grenades were holed up inside.

Several hours later, Police forces managed to enter the place to free the hostages. Two officers lost their lives in the clashes.

The fate of the other seven hostages was not immediately clear; however, police sources said earlier that they had found five dead bodies scattered on the ground inside the building.

The Daesh terror group, mainly active in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack. It posted photos of what it said were dead foreigners killed in the assault.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team