{"id":10730,"date":"2016-07-02T14:57:37","date_gmt":"2016-07-02T14:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=10730"},"modified":"2016-07-02T14:57:37","modified_gmt":"2016-07-02T14:57:37","slug":"islamic-gunmen-kill-20-bangladesh-commandos-end-siege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=10730","title":{"rendered":"Islamic gunmen kill 20 before Bangladesh commandos end siege"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"48643545\" class=\"aligncenter\" 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src=\"\/\/static-entertainment-neu-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/en-ae\/news\/_h\/c9c853f4\/webcore\/flash\/hybridplayer_2.swf\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" base=\".\" wmode=\"transparent\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" quality=\"high\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\" flashvars=\"loadAdsOnLoad=false&amp;playerId=video_player_63720537-9239-4457-8059-239db5dd91d3\" \/><\/object><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vpaid_admsg_container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flash video_player\">\u00a0DHAKA, July 2 (Reuters) &#8211; Islamic gunmen shouting &#8220;Allahu Akbar&#8221; attacked an upscale cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, killing 20 people inside, before police stormed the building on Saturday and rescued 13 hostages, officials said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The attack, claimed by Islamic State, marks a major escalation in a campaign by Islamic militants over the past 18 months that had targeted mostly individuals advocating a secular or liberal approach in mostly Muslim Bangladesh.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Six gunmen were killed during the police operation and one was captured, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a TV broadcast.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8220;Most of (the hostages) were killed mercilessly by sharp weapons last night,&#8221; before the siege began, Army Brigadier General Naim Asraf Chowdhury said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The army concluded an operation to clear the cafe after a 12-hour siege that began when gunmen stormed the restaurant on Friday night. Two police were killed in the initial assault.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The 13 hostages that were rescued included one Japanese and two Sri Lankans, Chowdhury told a news conference. Police said earlier the gunmen were holding about 20 hostages.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">One Japanese man was among those rescued and taken to a Dhaka hospital with a gunshot wound, a Japanese government spokesman said. Seven Japanese were unaccounted for.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Italy&#8217;s ambassador to Bangladesh, Mario Palma, told Italian state TV seven Italians were among the hostages.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Islamic State posted photos of what it said were dead foreigners killed in the assault, which could deal a major blow to the country&#8217;s vital $25 billion garment sector.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Police said they believed about eight to nine gunmen had been holed up in the cafe, armed with assault rifles and grenades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to Hasina, told Reuters security forces had tried to negotiate with the gunmen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-slideshow nonfullscreen clean\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<div class=\"gallery-container\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:100,&quot;p&quot;:80,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;gallery&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:8,&quot;o&quot;:2}\" data-id=\"100\" data-aop=\"article\" data-page-publcat=\"Microsoft IES\" data-page-partner-name=\"Microsoft GES\" data-page-provider-id=\"BB40Mo2\" data-page-name=\"gallery_inline\" data-page-id=\"galleryvnext\" data-gallery-id=\"AAhRVfQ\" data-fullscreen-url=\"\/en-ae\/news\/world\/shooting-and-hostage-situation-in-dhaka\/ss-AAhRVfQ?li=AAaWeYc&amp;ocid=spartandhp&amp;parent-title=islamic-gunmen-kill-20-before-bangladesh-commandos-end-siege&amp;parent-ns=ar&amp;parent-content-id=AAhSZnQ&amp;fullscreen=true\">\n<section class=\"gallery\" data-aop=\"article_slide\" data-click-behavior=\"GoToNextSlide\">\n<ul class=\"slideshow loaded\">\n<li class=\"show\">\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:101,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image1&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:1}\" data-id=\"101\" data-image-size=\"2538,1694\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" loaded alignleft\" title=\"BANGLADESH-UNREST-ATTACK - STR\/AFP\/Getty Images\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSjDV.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f\" alt=\"Bangladeshi security personnel stand guard outside a restaurant during an attack in Dhaka's high-security diplomatic district early on July 2, 2016. Gunmen stormed a crowded restaurant popular with foreigners in the Bangladeshi capital on July 1 night, a\" width=\"559\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSjDV.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:102,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image2&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:2}\" data-id=\"102\" data-image-size=\"2586,1663\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" loaded\" title=\"Bangladesh Attack - AP Images\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhTcWL.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f\" alt=\"Ambulances carrying bodies head for hospitals after an operation against militants who took hostages at a restaurant popular with foreigners in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, July 2, 2016. Bangladeshi forces stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area where heavily armed militants held dozens of people hostage Saturday morning, rescuing some captives including foreigners at the end of the 10-hour standoff. (AP Photo)\" width=\"580\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhTcWL.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:103,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image3&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:3}\" data-id=\"103\" data-image-size=\"2539,1693\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" loaded\" title=\"Bangladesh Attack - AP Images\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhTmAh.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=1131&amp;y=324\" alt=\"A relative tries to console Semin Rahman, covering face, whose son is missing after militants took hostages in a restaurant popular with foreigners in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, July 2, 2016. Bangladeshi forces stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area where heavily armed militants held dozens of people hostage Saturday morning, rescuing some captives including foreigners at the end of the 10-hour standoff. (AP Photo)\" width=\"559\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhTmAh.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=1131&amp;y=324&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:104,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image4&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:4}\" data-id=\"104\" data-image-size=\"2258,1484\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" loaded\" title=\"Bangladesh Attack - AP Images\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhT2WF.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f\" alt=\"An armored vehicle comes out after an operation against militants who took hostages at a restaurant popular with foreigners in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, July 2, 2016. Bangladeshi forces stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area where heavily armed militants held dozens of people hostage Saturday morning, rescuing some captives including foreigners at the end of the 10-hour standoff. (AP Photo)\" width=\"568\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhT2WF.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;}}\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby speaks about a hostage situation at a restaurant in the B... - Reuters\" src=\"http:\/\/static-entertainment-neu-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/sc\/9b\/e151e5.gif\" alt=\"U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby speaks about a hostage situation at a restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, during a press briefing in Washington DC, U.S. July 1, 2016. State TV\/via Reuters TV. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDE\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhS4fo.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=972&amp;y=405&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:118,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image18&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:18}\" data-id=\"118\" data-image-size=\"2592,1659\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" loaded\" title=\"Armed Assault to a restaurant in Dhaka - Anadolu Agency\/Getty Images\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSbFB.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f\" alt=\"DHAKA, BANGLADESH - JULY 1: Police officers take security measures after armed attackers attack to a restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 1, 2016. (Photo by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury\/Anadolu Agency\/Getty Images)\" width=\"583\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSbFB.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:118,&quot;p&quot;:100,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image18&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:18}\" data-id=\"118\" data-image-size=\"2592,1659\">A group of assailants armed with hand grenades and guns stormed Holey Artisan Bakery, killing at least 20 foreigners, in Bangladesh\u2019s capital city Dhaka on July 2, 2016. Six gunmen and two police officers have died in the 10-hour standoff. Another 13 were rescued after security forces stormed the upscale restaurant. The IS-linked Amaq news agency issued a statement, claiming the group was responsible for the attack.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"gallerydata\" data-aop=\"article_slidedata\">\n<div class=\"show\">\n<div class=\"body-text\">\n<div class=\"expand\">\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>(Pictured) Bangladeshi security personnel stand guard outside the restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"body-text\">\n<div class=\"expand\">\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<div>Ambulances carrying the dead bodies head for hospitals.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Mourning relatives gather outside the restaurant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">An armored vehicle comes out after an operation against the militants.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Army soldiers patrol in a boat on a lake near the restaurant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">A security officer cordons off the area.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Security personnel check vehicles in the Gulshan area of Dhaka.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Members of the Rapid Action Battalion are seen outside the Holey Artisan restaurant, where gunmen had taken hostages on July 2.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">An injured member of the police personnel is carried away by his colleagues.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Bangladeshi bomb disposal unit being suited up.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">A policeman stands at the entrance of a riot vehicle outside the restaurant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Bangladeshi security personnel stand guard near the restaurant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">An unidentified security personnel is taken for medical attention after attackers clashed with the police.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Bangladeshi security stand guard near a restaurant.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">An injured police officer is being helped by security personnel.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Police officers take security measures.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that the hostage situation is &#8220;very fluid, very live,&#8221; but that &#8220;all American citizens working under the Chief of Mission Authority&#8221; have been accounted for.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Police officers stand guard at the site of the attack.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hidegallerydata\"><strong>SPORADIC GUNFIRE<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The hostage crisis began when security guards in the Gulshan district of Dhaka, popular with expatriates, noticed several gunmen outside a medical centre, Rizvi said. When the guards approached, the gunmen ran into the Holey Artisan cafe, which was packed with people waiting for tables, he said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Ali Arsalan, co-owner of the restaurant, said that his staff told him the attackers yelled &#8220;Allahu Akbar&#8221; (God is Great) as they stormed the building<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Police said the assailants exchanged sporadic gunfire with police outside for several hours after the gunmen attacked the restaurant around 9 p.m. on Friday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A police officer at the scene said that when security forces tried to enter the premises at the beginning of the siege they were met with a hail of bullets and grenades that killed at least two of them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Television footage showed a number of police being led away from the site with blood on their faces and clothes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A cafe employee who escaped told local television about 20 customers were in the restaurant at the time, most of them foreigners. Some 15 to 20 staff were working at the restaurant, the employee said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The rescued Japanese man was eating dinner with seven other Japanese, all of whom were consultants for Japan&#8217;s foreign aid agency, the Japanese government spokesman said. He did not know what happened to the others.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-slideshow nonfullscreen clean\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<div class=\"gallery-container\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:121,&quot;p&quot;:80,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;gallery&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:8,&quot;o&quot;:3}\" data-id=\"121\">\n<section class=\"gallery\" data-click-behavior=\"GoToFullScreen\">\n<ul class=\"slideshow loaded\">\n<li class=\"show\">\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:122,&quot;p&quot;:121,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image1&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:1}\" data-id=\"122\" data-image-size=\"2558,1680\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded alignleft\" title=\"bnagla3 - AP Photo\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSEBI.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=1351&amp;y=823\" alt=\"Bangladeshi soldiers come out of an area housing a restaurant popular with foreigners after heavily armed militants attacked it on Friday night and took dozens of hostages, in a diplomatic zone of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, July 2, 2016.\" width=\"568\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSEBI.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=1351&amp;y=823&quot;}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:123,&quot;p&quot;:121,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image2&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:2}\" data-id=\"123\" data-image-size=\"800,533\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded\" title=\"&lt;span&gt;Security personnel keep watch after gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan r... - REUTERS\/Mohammad Ponir Hossain\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSsSK.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=225&amp;y=167\" alt=\"&lt;span&gt;Security personnel keep watch after gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan restaurant and took hostages, in the Gulshan area of Dhaka, Bangladesh July 2, 2016.&lt;\/span&gt;\" width=\"560\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSsSK.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=225&amp;y=167&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"imgcontainer\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:124,&quot;p&quot;:121,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;image3&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;o&quot;:3}\" data-id=\"124\" data-image-size=\"800,542\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded\" title=\"bangla2 - Courtesy of ATN News\/via REUTERS TV\" src=\"http:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSzS2.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=535&amp;y=286\" alt=\"Armed personnel secure the scene after gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan restaurant and took hostages early on Saturday in Dhaka, Bangladesh in this still frame taken from live video July 2, 2016.\" width=\"551\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;wait&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AAhSzS2.img?h=373&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=535&amp;y=286&quot;}}\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"slideshownavie10sizehelper\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"gallerydata\">\n<div class=\"show\">\n<div class=\"body-text\">\n<div class=\"expand\">\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><!-- slide body text  --><\/p>\n<div>Bangladeshi soldiers come out of an area housing a restaurant popular with foreigners after heavily armed militants attacked it on Friday night and took dozens of hostages, in a diplomatic zone of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, July 2, 2016.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Security personnel keep watch after gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan restaurant and took hostages, in the Gulshan area of Dhaka, Bangladesh July 2, 2016.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"slidemetadata-container\">\n<div class=\"slide-metadata\">Armed personnel secure the scene after gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan restaurant and took hostages early on Saturday in Dhaka, Bangladesh in this still frame taken from live video July 2, 2016.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hidegallerydata\"><strong>SPATE OF MURDERS<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The hostage crisis marks an escalation from a recent spate of murders claimed by Islamic State and al Qaeda on liberals, gays, foreigners and religious minorities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A Hindu priest was hacked to death on Friday at a temple in Jhinaidah district, 300 km (188 miles) southwest of Dhaka.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Both Islamic State and al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for many of the killings, although local authorities say no operational links exist between Bangladeshi militants and international jihadi networks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Bangladesh security officials say two local militant groups, Ansar-al-Islam and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, have been behind the spate of violence over the past 18 months. Ansar pledges allegiance to al Qaeda, while Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen claims it represents Islamic State.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8220;The bottom line is Bangladesh has plenty of local, often unaffiliated, militants and radicals happy to stage attacks in ISIS&#8217;s name,&#8221; said Michael Kugelman, South Asia associate at The Wilson Centre in Washington D.C., using an acronym commonly used for Islamic State.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Islamic State had claimed more attacks in Bangladesh than in Pakistan or Afghanistan, he said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The restaurant assault also comes after Bangladesh hanged an Islamist party leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, on May 11 for genocide and other crimes committed during a 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. That has drawn an angry reaction and some scattered violence from supporters. Nizami, 73, was a former legislator and minister during opposition leader Khaleda Zia&#8217;s last term as prime minister.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Foreign diplomats and human rights groups have warned that Bangladesh&#8217;s ongoing war crime tribunals and the government&#8217;s pressure on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have created a backlash domestically,\ufffd according to Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8220;They need to maintain legal political space for Jamaat and the BNP so that they don&#8217;t drive people into the shadows and violence,&#8221; Adams said in a telephone interview, cautioning that it&#8217;s not known whether that dynamic and the bloodshed in Dhaka were related. (Additional reporting by Krishna Das and Rupam Jain in NEW DELHI, Isla Binnie in ROME, Melissa Fares in NEW YORK ande Stanley White in TOKYO; Writing by Bill Tarrant; Editing by Nick Macfie)<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0DHAKA, July 2 (Reuters) &#8211; Islamic gunmen shouting &#8220;Allahu Akbar&#8221; attacked an upscale cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, killing 20 people inside, before police stormed the building on Saturday and rescued 13 hostages, officials said. The attack, claimed by Islamic State, marks a major escalation in a campaign by Islamic militants over the past 18 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}