Forces storm restaurant to free captives in Dhaka

Bangladeshi soldiers leave the area today after an operation against militants who seized people in a restaurant.
Bangladeshi soldiers leave the area today after an operation against militants who seized people in a restaurant.

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Bangladesh forces stormed a restaurant this morning where heavily armed militants held dozens of people captive for 10 hours, triggering explosions and finding at least five bodies lying in pools of blood.

photo

AP

A policeman helps an injured comrade Friday night in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after gunmen took captives at a restaurant in a standoff in which two policemen died. Early today, forces stormed the restaurant, triggering explosions and finding bodies.At least 13 people reportedly were rescued.

Lt. Col. Tuhin Mohammad Masud, the commanding officer of Bangladeshi commandos, said at least six of the militants were killed and 13 captives rescued after security forces cleared the main restaurant building at the end of the 10-hour standoff. He said some militants were captured. Two police officers were reported killed.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi activity online. At least 35 people, including about 20 foreigners, were trapped inside the restaurant, said Sumon Reza, a member of the kitchen staff who was among more than 10 people who managed to run to the rooftop and escape when the militants moved in Friday night.

With the sound of gunfire and explosions, local TV stations reported that the rescue operation began at 7:40 a.m.. It included army personnel with automatic weapons and at least seven armored vehicles. Several ambulances were on standby.

Local media reported that an Argentine and two Bangladeshis were rescued from the restaurant early today, but details about their condition were not immediately available.

Commandos storming the restaurant discovered five bodies lying in blood, a police official who was not identified told Channel 24 TV station.

In Tokyo, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said 12 people were rescued in the raid, including two foreigners, but he couldn't say whether they were Japanese. His information was based on Dhaka police.

A news agency affiliated with the Islamic State group claimed that 24 people had been killed and 40 wounded, including foreigners, according to SITE. The figures could not be independently confirmed.

The Amaq news agency also posted photos that claimed to show the bodies of captives. The authenticity of the pictures could not be confirmed either.

The U.S. State Department said it had seen the Islamic State claim but could not confirm its authenticity.

Authorities also ordered Internet services to be blocked across the country, according to Internet service provider Aamra.

Police said the two officers died at a hospital after being wounded in the initial gunfire with as many as nine attackers, who also hurled bombs. Ten of the 26 wounded were listed in critical condition, six of whom were on life support, according to hospital staff, who said the injuries ranged from broken bones to gunshot wounds. Only one civilian was among the wounded.

Reza said the attackers launched the attack about 9:20 p.m. Friday, initially opening fire with blanks. A contingent of security forces cordoned off the area around the bakery.

In Washington, a White House official said President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his chief counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco. The president asked to be kept informed as the situation develops, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the president's meetings.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was in contact with the Bangladesh government and has offered its assistance to bring those responsible to justice.

He said all official American personnel are accounted for with no injuries reported, and the department is working with local authorities to determine if any U.S. citizens and locally employed staff were affected.

Information for this article was contributed by Katy Daigle, Matthew Pennington, and Ken Moritsugu of The Associated Press.

A Section on 07/02/2016

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