Police exchanged gunfire with attackers in a diplomatic zone of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Gunmen are holding about 20 people hostage at Holey Artisan Bakery, a cafe popular with expatriates, cafe owner Sumon Reza told CNN. An officer in charge of a nearby police station was shot dead, Maruf Hasan of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.m Police are trying to find out the demands of the gunmen, an officer in Dhaka tells CNN. Assailants have thrown grenades at police, a source at the scene said. Ref. CNN.
Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Bangladesh capital
The militants' news agency reported the claim, according to SITE Intel Group, a U.S.-based organization that monitors extremist activity online. At least two police offices were killed Friday after some nine gunmen burst into a restaurant popular with foreigners in the diplomatic zone of Dhaka and took more than a dozen people hostage, according to local media and police. Ref. USAToday.
Twenty hostages were killed when gunmen seized a popular Dhaka bakery overnight, a Bangladesh military official said.
The victims, who were all civilians, were killed with sharp weapons. Their bodies were found after hours of intense standoff in the country's capital.
The attackers in the bakery siege used explosive devises and "A lot of sharp domestic weapons," a Bangladeshi defense official said at a news conference.
At least 13 hostages were rescued and six attackers killed by the time the standoff was over, Bangladeshi officials said. Ref. CNN.
As predicted before ISIS is going to set off a series of chain reactions so terrorism hits every part of the globe. Reading news reports from Bangladesh I can see the people there particularly excitable towards anything that is not in keeping with their traditional ideals.
International Level: Activist / Political Participation: 32 3.2%