July 2016 Dhaka attack

Coordinates: 23°48′09″N 90°25′00″E / 23.802512°N 90.416690°E / 23.802512; 90.416690
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23°48′09″N 90°25′00″E / 23.802512°N 90.416690°E / 23.802512; 90.416690

Dhaka attack
Part of Internal conflict in Bangladesh
Location of the attack within Dhaka
LocationRoad No 79, House 5, Gulshan 2
Holey Artisan Bakery, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Date1–2 July 2016
21:20 – 08:30 (BST, UTC+06:00)
Attack type
Mass shooting, bombing, hostage-taking
WeaponsFirearms, AK-22 , IEDs, sword[1]
Deaths28 (20 civilians, 6 attackers, 2 police officers)[2]
Injured50[3]
Victims20–60 hostages[4][5][6]
PerpetratorsIslamic State of Iraq and Levant (disputed)
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen[7]
No. of participants
7

On the night of 1 July 2016, at 21:21 local time,[8] seven militants opened fire on the Holey Artisan Bakery in the Gulshan neighborhood and diplomatic area of Dhaka, Bangladesh.[5][6] They also threw bombs, took several dozen hostages, and killed two police officers in shootouts with police.[5] They reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is greatest") during the attack.[6][9]

Twenty-eight people were killed, including 17 foreigners, two police officers, and six gunmen.[10][11] One of the gunmen was captured and 13 hostages were freed by Bangladesh Armed Forces, Police, RAB, BGB and joint forces.[2] According to Bangladesh's Inspector General of Police, all seven of the attackers were Bangladeshi citizens.[12]

Background

Bangladesh, having a population of 171 million, is a developing country with a GDP per capita income of $1,284 per year. The militant Islamic organization Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen was founded in 1998 and outlawed in 2005 when it committed a series of bombings, but later took up activities again. Bangladesh government later tried and hanged Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqur Rahman, two leaders of the organization, to death.

Some attacks came from another Islamic terrorist group outlawed in 2005 named Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, including 2004 Dhaka grenade attack and 2001 Ramna Batamul bombings.

Since 2013, the country has experienced an increase in Islamist attacks on religious minorities, secularist and atheist writers and bloggers, LGBT rights activists and non-radical Muslims.[13][14][15] Since September 2015, there have been over 30 such attacks, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for 21 of them.[16] Ansarullah Bangla Team, another terrorist group outlawed on 25 May 2015, also claimed responsibility for some of them. Gulshan is a well off neighborhood of Dhaka and is home to many foreign embassies.[6]

Attack and rescue

Gulshan circle-1
Gulshan- Mohakhali link road.
Gulshan- Mohakhali link road.
Bangladeshi joint forces restricted the movement in Gulshan area at the time of Operation Thunderbolt during the Gulshan Hostage Crisis.

The attack started at about 21:20 local time.[17] Seven attackers entered the restaurant armed with bombs and guns, and one attacker also had a sword. They opened fire indiscriminately and detonated several of the bombs while shouting "Allahu Akbar (God is Great!)". Several people dove under their tables, while panicking staffs ran onto the stairs. An Argentinian waiter, named Diego Rossini, bolted upstairs with several restaurant employees followed him shortly afterwards. They then jumped onto nearby buildings.[18][19]

Staff on the second floor ran and hid inside a toilet. A total of 8 staffs were hiding inside the toilet. The attackers then went upstairs and walked in front of the door, shouting "Bengali people, come out,” "If you're Muslims, come out,". Because there were no answer, the gunman thought that there was no one inside, and locked the restroom's door. The staffs inside the toilet began to text their relatives, stating that they were inside the toilet and pleaded for help. The attackers then taking many hostages, almost all foreigners. Reports indicate that the attackers were "unfailingly polite and solicitous" with the restaurant staff and other Bangladeshis. They took the staff into their confidence, complaining that foreigners, with their skimpy clothes and taste for alcohol, were impeding the spread of Islam. “Their lifestyle is encouraging local people to do the same thing,” a militant said. [20][21]

Two police officers, Detective Rabiul Karim and Officer-in-Charge Salauddin Khan, alerted by the gunfires and started to investigate. Police then alerted by the situation in the restaurant and immediately responded. The attackers then engaged in a shootouts with the police. Police cordoned off the area around the restaurant and planned a rescue raid. The attackers however threw grenades and exploded, killing two police officers, Rabiul Karim and Salauddin Khan. [5]

The attackers then spotted one member of staff, named as Miraj, who hid in the corner. One of the gunman then said: "Everyone else ran away but you couldn't make it, that means God wants you to die." The gunman then strapped him to a chair with explosives, creating their human shield. The gunmen then separated the Muslims from the non-Muslims. The Muslims were given food and water, while the non-Muslims, were not. On the early morning of 2 July, the attackers began releasing hostages. A group of women wearing hijabs were released by the attackers; they offered a young Bangladeshi man, Faraz Hossain, the opportunity to leave as well. However, Hossain refused their offer and refused to leave his friends, who were prohibited from leaving by the gunmen.[22]

The hostage takers made three demands during the crisis:[23]

  • The leader of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Khaled Saifullah, should be released.
  • The hostage takers are allowed to leave safely.
  • The hostage takers' mission to establish Islam should be recognized.

Pictures allegedly taken from inside the restaurant have been circulated on Twitter by pro-ISIL accounts and show several bodies and pools of blood on the floor.[5]

The rescue operation was ordered by the Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and was named Operation Thunderbolt. It was led by 1st Para-commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army.[24] Members of Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guards, Police, Rapid Action Battalion, SWAT and joint forces started the rescue operation at 07:40 local time.[25] Hundred Army commandos stormed into the bakery with nine APC, smashing through the wall.[26] Within 12 to 13 minutes they took control over area.[26] The rescue operation lasted around 50 minutes. Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy chiefs were present in the area during raid.[27]

13 hostages were rescued. Six of the attackers were killed in a gunfight with the commandos, while the seventh was captured alive.[28]

The Daily Kaler Kantho reported that the militant group Ansar al-Islam announced the upcoming attack via a tweet almost 10 hours before the actual attack took place.[29]

Casualties

Twenty civilians, six gunmen, and two police officers were confirmed killed, while 50 others, mostly police personnel, were injured.[30][3] The two dead police officers included an Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and the officer-in-charge of the nearby Banani police station.[31][32] Italian citizens were among the victims.[5] The Bangladesh Army initially announced that all 20 hostages killed in the attack were foreigners, and that they were "killed brutally with sharp weapons" by the perpetrators.[30] Those who could recite a verse from the Quran from memory were spared in an effort to only kill non-Muslims.[33][34][35]

Among the dead were seven Japanese citizens – five men and two women – who were associated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.[36] A 19-year-old female student of the University of California, Berkeley, of Indian nationality, was also killed.[37]

Deaths by nationality
Country Number
Italy Italy 9
Japan Japan 7
Bangladesh Bangladesh 4
India India 1
United States United States 1
Total 22[38]

The dead included:[39]

  • Cristian Rossi, Italian
  • Marco Tondat, Italian
  • Nadia Benedetti, Italian
  • Adele Puglisi, Italian
  • Simona Monti, Italian
  • Claudia Maria D'Antona, Italian
  • Vincenzo D'Allestro, Italian
  • Maria Rivoli, Italian
  • Claudio Cappelli, Italian
  • Koyo Ogasawara, Japanese
  • Makoto Okamura, Japanese
  • Yuko Sakai, Japanese
  • Rui Shimodaira, Japanese
  • Faraaz Ayaaz Hossai, Bangladeshi
  • Ishrat Akhond, Bangladeshi
  • Abinta Kabir, American
  • Tarishi Jain, Indian

Responsibility

An initial report from Amaq News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), said the group claimed it had killed 24 people and wounded 40 others.[40] A second report, issued directly by ISIL a few hours later, said the group had killed "22 crusaders" and was accompanied by photos of the attackers, standing in front of ISIL banners.[41][42]

According to The New York Times, citing Bangladesh police, the attackers were named Akash, Badhon, Bikash, Don, and Ripon. ISIL referred to the five men by their kunya which were Abu Omar al-Bengali, Abu Salmah al-Bengali, Abu Rahim al-Bengali, Abu Muslim al-Bengali and Abu Muharib al-Bengali. According to The New York Times, pictures of the bodies of the five men, released by Bangladeshi police, matched five photographs of the men released by ISIL.[43]

However, the home minister of Bangladesh, Asaduzzaman Khan, has stated that the perpetrators belonged to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and were not affiliated with ISIL. They were well-educated and mostly from rich families.[44][45] Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's political adviser Hossain Toufique Imam said that Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is suspected to have links with the attack.[46]

Reactions

  • Bangladesh Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the killings and hostage crisis and stated that Islamic terrorists were maligning the name of Islam[47][48][49] and assured that the government will do everything to restrain militancy and extremism in the country.[50] President Abdul Hamid also condemned the terrorist attack and expressed deep shock at the death of the hostages and police officials.[51]
  • India Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and said, "the attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words."[52] President Pranab Mukherjee wrote on Twitter that he was "deeply saddened at the loss of life and injuries caused to innocent civilians."[53]
  • Italy Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi offered condolences to the families of the victims, saying, "our values are stronger than hatred and terror."[54] He also said that the nation had suffered "a painful loss."[55] The Italian national football team wore black armbands during their Euro quarter final match against Germany. Both teams held a moment of silence before the game.[56]
  • Japan Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe commanded the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh to rescue the Japanese alive from the crisis, labeling the incident as "unfortunate".[57] Some other Japanese government officials and agencies including Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan International Cooperation Agency expressed their concern over the incident and condemned the killings.[58]
  • United Nations The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the terrorist attack and said, "the members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security".[59][60]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chronology of Gulshan café crisis". bdnews24.com. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Police kill 6 militants, rescue 13 hostages in Dhaka attack". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b IANS (1 July 2016). "Gunmen kill 5, injure 50, take 20 hostages in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter". Yahoo. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  4. ^ Wajahat S. Khan; Erik Oritz (1 July 2016). "Gunmen Kill 4 Officers, Take Dozens Hostage in Bangladesh". NBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Gunmen take at least 20 hostages in Dhaka diplomatic quarter, Bangladesh – reports". rt.com. Russia Today. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d "Hostages taken in attack on restaurant in Bangladesh capital; witness says gunmen shouted 'Allahu Akbar'". Fox News. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  7. ^ Hughes, Trevor (3 July 2016). "Bangladesh official doubts ISIL's claim for hostage-taking attack". USA Today. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Gunmen take hostages in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka". BBC News. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Bangladeshi police prepare to storm restaurant where Islamist terrorists are holding 20 hostages – including foreigners – after shooting two officers dead in Dhaka". Retrieved 1 July 2016. Worker who escaped reported gunmen shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as they fired
  10. ^ "Hostage crisis leaves 28 dead in Bangladesh diplomatic zone". The Washington Post. 2 July 2016.
  11. ^ "20 foreigners killed in 'Isil' attack on Dhaka restaurant". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Gulshan attackers Bangladeshi citizens: IGP". The Daily Star. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Sufi spiritual leader hacked to death in Bangladesh". CNN. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Sufi Muslim leader found hacked to death in a Bangladesh mango grove in suspected Islamist killing". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  15. ^ "Muslim student killed in Dhaka siege after refusing to desert friends in Western clothes". The Independent. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  16. ^ "ISIL claims it killed Hindu volunteer in Bangladesh". Al Jazeera. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  17. ^ "Bangladesh Hostage Crisis: What Happened And Why". NDTV. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  18. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/03/asia/bangladesh-terror-attack-moments/#
  19. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36696445
  20. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/03/asia/bangladesh-terror-attack-moments/#
  21. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/world/asia/bangladesh-hostage-standoff.html?_r=0
  22. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/03/asia/bangladesh-terror-attack-moments/#
  23. ^ "আত্মসমর্পণের আহ্বান যৌথ বাহিনীর, জঙ্গিদের তিন শর্ত" (in Bengali). Bangla Tribune. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  24. ^ "Bangladesh PM Hasina says 13 hostages rescued alive from Gulshan café". Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  25. ^ "Security forces begin offensive to end hostage crisis". The Daily Star. 2 July 2016.
  26. ^ a b "Blood, Shock, Horror". 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  27. ^ "Army cordon off spot as rescue operation over". Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  28. ^ "Bangladesh PM Hasina says 13 hostages rescued alive from Gulshan café". BDNews24. 2 July 2016.
  29. ^ "এবিটির সকালে ঘোষণা, রাতে হামলা!" [ABT announced attack in the morning, attacked at night]. Daily Kaler Kantho. 2 July 2016.
  30. ^ a b "Dhaka attack: 20 hostages killed Friday night, says ISPR". The Daily Star. 2 July 2016.
  31. ^ "Police officer killed as gunmen attack Bangladesh restaurant". BDNews24. 2 July 2016.
  32. ^ "2 Officers Dead, Dozens Wounded in Ongoing Bangladeshi Hostage Situation: Reports". People Magazine. 1 July 2016.
  33. ^ "'Those who could cite Quran were spared'". The Daily Star. 2 July 2016.
  34. ^ "20 hostages killed in 'Isil' attack on Dhaka restaurant popular with foreigners". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  35. ^ Al-Mahmood, Syed Zain. "Bangladesh Hostage's Father Says Son Didn't Expect to Live". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 July 2016. [T]he militants, who Hasnat Karim said seemed to be in their early 20s, were hunting for foreigners and non-Muslims. 'They asked the hostages to recite verses from the Quran', he said. 'Those who could [recite], were treated well, but those who couldn't were separated...'
  36. ^ "「日本人７人死亡確認」 バングラデシュ人質事件" ['Seven Japanese Deaths Confirmed' Bangladesh Hostage Incident] (in Japanese). NHK. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  37. ^ "Dhaka attack: 19-year-old Indian girl among 20 hostages killed, PM Modi phones Sheikh Hasina". Zee News. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  38. ^ Ishaan Tharoor (2 July 2016). "Three American students among 20 people hacked to death in Bangladesh by ISIS terrorists - who only spared those who could recite the Koran - before armored troops moved in". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  39. ^ "Bangladesh mourns victims of Dhaka cafe attack". BBC. Retrieved 4 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ "Amaq Agency Claims 24 Killed & 40 Wounded In Dhaka Attack". 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  41. ^ "Islamic State Officially Claims Responsibility For Dhaka Attack". 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  42. ^ Summers, Chris; Pleasance, Chris (3 July 2016). "Pictured: The grinning ISIS terrorists who hacked 20 innocent victims including westerners to death but spared those who could recite the Koran in Bangladesh attack". Daily Mail. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  43. ^ "Bangladesh Hunts Hostage Crisis Clues, Investigates IS Claim". Associated Press. 3 July 2016 – via The New York Times.
  44. ^ "Hostage-takers were from Bangladesh group, not IS: minister". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  45. ^ "Not ISIS, All Local Militants, Says Bangladesh Government On Dhaka Attack". ndtv.com. NDTV. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  46. ^ Sen, Sudhi Ranjan (3 July 2016). "Pak's ISI Suspected Of Link To Bangladesh Attack: Top Official To NDTV". Dhaka: NDTV. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  47. ^ "Stop killing in the name of Islam, urges Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina". Firstpost. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  48. ^ "You're Maligning The Name of Islam, Says Sheikh Hasina On Dhaka Attack". NDTV. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  49. ^ "Dhaka attack: Strongly support Sheikh Hasina's resolve to weed out terror, Says Digvijaya Singh". The Indian Express. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  50. ^ "Dhaka terror attack: PM Sheikh Hasina criticises TV channels for live coverage of crisis – Firstpost". 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  51. ^ "President condemns Gulshan café attack". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  52. ^ "Modi condemns Gulshan attack, calls Haisna | Dhaka Tribune". www.dhakatribune.com. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  53. ^ "Deeply saddened at the loss of life in dastardly Dhaka attack: Pranab Mukherjee". The Indian Express. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  54. ^ "Dhaka cafe attack: Isis militants 'tortured' hostages who could not recite the Quran". 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  55. ^ "Italians, 7 Japanese confirmed dead in Bangladesh terror attack". Nikkei. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016 – via Associated Press.
  56. ^ "Germany, Italy 1-1 after 90 minutes | The Telegraph (Calcutta)". telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  57. ^ "Japan offers Bangladesh help to battle terrorism after hostage crisis". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  58. ^ "Gulshan attack: Japan PM Abe assures co-operation to battle terrorism". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  59. ^ "Dhaka terror attack: 'Hostage-takers were from Bangladesh group, not IS'". Times of India. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  60. ^ "UN Security Council slams deadly terrorist attack in Bangladesh". Xinhua. Retrieved 3 July 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2016 Gulshan, Dhaka attack.
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