Another awful tragedy being reported by the BBC and others 2 July 2016
- 20 people, all of them foreigners, were killed during an attack on a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, officials say.
- most victims were reportedly from Italy and Japan
- 6 of the attackers were also killed and one was arrested, a government spokesman said.
- the attack was claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS).
- the siege began as diners were gathering to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
- gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka late on Friday taking hostages before troops entered almost 12 hours later
the Islamist militants struck on the last weekend before the Muslim religious festival of Eid al-Fitr. Dozens of diners were at the cafe, which is popular among foreigners and middle-class Bangladeshis.
The Gulshan district is a high-security area and considered among the safest places in Dhaka. Several embassies and non-governmental organisations are based in the neighbourhood and hundreds of foreigners and wealthy Bangladeshis live there.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a televised statement:
"It was an extremely heinous act. What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion.
"My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh."
These sad and fragile times continue to shock and disgust.
The BBC has the latest on this story here
