Bangladesh says majority of restaurant attackers well off, highly educated

Police officers stand guard after attackers stormed a coffee shop in Dhaka on July 2.
(Image credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Authorities say most of the men suspected of carrying out a deadly attack late Friday that left 20 people dead in Dhaka, Bangladesh, went to prestigious schools in Dhaka and Malaysia.

"A majority of the boys who attacked the restaurant came from very good educational institutions," Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told India's NDTV. "Some went to sophisticated schools. Their families are relatively well-to-do people."

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the assault, which killed mostly foreigners from Italy, Japan, India, and the United States. Masdur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka police, told Reuters "there may be a link to international terrorist groups, including IS; we are looking into that angle," adding that the gunmen were brainwashed. The attack was one of the deadliest to date in Bangladesh, where hackings of secular bloggers, religious minorities, and others by Islamist militants are on the rise. Police say two people have been detained in connection with the assault, but they're not sure if they are suspects or victims. They are currently undergoing medical treatment.

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.