February 11, 2026 11:45 am (IST)
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Dhaka hostage crisis: 20 foreigners, 6 terrorists killed
Dhaka, July 2 (IBNS): The Bangladeshi Army on Saturday said that 20 foreigners were killed by heavily armed terrorists suspected to belong to terror outfit ISIS after being taken hostage at a restaurant in the capital city Dhaka on Friday evening.
The people were kept hostage for nearly 10 hours in Dhaka's upscale restaurant Gulshan. The stand-off between Army and terrorists came to a end on Saturday morning.
An Indian girl, who was taken hostage in the restaurant, also died in the terror attack in Dhaka, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said that a terrorist was caught alive.
As the operation came to an end, 13 captives, including three foreigners, were rescued.
Brigadier General of Bangladesh Army Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka that: "We've recovered 20 bodies. Most them had been brutally hacked to death with sharp weapons."
According to the Army, most of the victims were Italian or Japanese.
"Three of those who were rescued were foreigners, including one Japanese and two Sri Lankans," the spokesperson told media.
The ISIS has already claimed responsibility for the terror attack, a first of its kind in Bangladesh.
Condemning the attack, Hasina said, "It was an extremely heinous act. What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion."
"People must resist these terrorists. My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh...we can defeat terrorism if the people are united," she said.
Gunmen attacked the upscale cafe at Gulshan, the diplomatic area of Dhaka late Friday and had been holding the hostages before Commandos and military personnel stormed the building and cleared it after a 10-hour battle.
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