Gunmen take hostages in Bangladesh's capital, ISIS claims responsibility

Security forces surround a restaurant in Dhaka.
(Image credit: AP Photo)

Update 3:54 p.m.: Two police officers have been killed in the shootout with at least six gunmen, officials announced. The New York Times' Rukmini Callimachi reported that the Islamic State's news agency Amaq has claimed responsibility for the ongoing standoff. Our original post appears below.

Gunmen have taken an estimated 20 people hostage in a popular cafe near the diplomatic zone of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, officials reported Friday. Several foreigners are among those being held, and three people are reported to be wounded after police exchanged gunfire with the attackers.

Police and security forces have blocked off the area and have a bomb disposal unit on standby as they try to negotiate for the hostages' release. The gunmen's identities and motives have yet to be reported, though one police officer suspected they were Islamic radicalists, the BBC reports.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

This attack is one of many in Bangladesh recently, as violent extremism and political tensions continue to rise despite government efforts to control hostilities. The hostage incident is Friday's second attack, following the murder of a Hindu priest while he was gathering flowers outside his temple in the southwestern district of Jhenaidah.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us