Attackers Take Hostages at Bangladesh Restaurant

Dhaka: Unidentified attackers on Friday night traded gunfire with police near a restaurant in high-security Gulshan diplomatic area in the Bangladesh capital where several people, including foreigners, are believed to be trapped.

According to police, about five to six armed men entered Holey Artisan Bakery, a restaurant popular with foreigners, and opened gunfire around 9:20 PM (local time). Several foreigners are feared to have been taken hostages inside the restaurant, police said.

The US embassy in Dhaka tweeted that there were "reports of shooting and hostage situation".

A large number of policemen and Rapid Action Battalion cordoned off the restaurant. The attackers hurled bombs and were firing intermittently, injuring some policemen and people.

A kitchen staff of the bakery, who managed to escape, said several armed men entered the restaurant around 8:45 PM and took the chief chef hostage, local media reported. "They set off several crude bombs triggering panic," he added.

Police negotiators were trying to establish communication with the suspected attackers holed up in the restaurant to know of there demands, local media has reported.

Benazir Ahmed, director general of the elite anti-crime force Rapid Action Battalion or RAB, told reporters at 11:20 p.m. (Dhaka time) that security forces were working to save the lives of the people trapped inside. Several foreigners are believed to be among the hostages inside the restaurant.

"Some derailed youths have entered the restaurant and launched the attack. We have talked to some of the people who fled the restaurant after the attack. We want to resolve this peacefully. We are trying to talk to the attackers, we want to listen to them about what they want," Mr Ahmed said.

Police negotiators were trying to establish communication with the suspected attackers holed up in the restaurant to know of their demands, local media said.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry said that all Indian diplomats in Dhaka are safe.

A series of deadly attacks, mostly using machetes rather than guns, have targeted bloggers, atheists and religious minorities in Bangladesh in recent months.

Bangladesh TV channels have stopped broadcasting live from hostage situation after Rapid Action Battalion requested to stop, sources in the Bangla media said.