Bangladesh mourns victims of terror carnage

Dhaka Bangladesh on Sunday mourned the victims of the horrific terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe that left 22 persons dominantly foreigners including an Indian dead and the nation traumatizedBangladesh on Sunday mourned the victims of the horrific terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe that left 22 persons dominantly foreigners including an Indian dead and the nation traumatized Pic AFPThe national flag flew at halfmast as a twoday mourning declared by the government beganPeople would wear black badges and prayers would be offered in mosques temples and other places of worship the Daily Star reportedAt least seven Islamists said to be Islamic State militants stormed the popular Spanish Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhakas diplomatic zone on Friday night taking more than 30 people hostageThe 20 persons were brutally murdered during the 12hour siege before Bangladeshi forces stormed the cafe and rescued 13 hostages including one Japanese and two Sri LankansThe victims include 10 males and 10 females Xinhua news agency quoted an unnamed official as sayingSix terrorists were killed in the 50minute armyled Operation Thunderbolt A seventh attacker was captured alive All the attackers were Bangladeshis and five of them were wanted by policeInspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque told CNN that police had previously tried to arrest the fiveThe Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack saying its gunmen killed 24 persons and injured more than 40 in the attack at a cafe in DhakaTwo police officials were also killed in gunfire earlier in the standoff authorities saidThe Bangladesh Army said those killed included nine Italians seven Japanese an Indian girl two Bangladeshis and a US citizen of Bangladeshi originBangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday declared a twoday mourning for the victimsCondemning the extremely heinous act she vowed to root out terrorism from the country which has seen a spate of deadly attacks by the IS and Al Qaedalinked militants on academics writers activists and religious minorities in the Muslimmajority countryWell establish Bangladesh as a peaceful state No conspiracy can hinder our advancement she saidWhat kind of Muslims are these people They dont have any religion People must resist these terrorists My government is determined to root out terrorism and militancy from Bangladesh she saidIn India President Pranab Mukherjee Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the attackModi telephoned Sheikh Hasina to condemn the despicable attack and said India stands firmly with our sisters and brothers of Bangladesh in this hour of griefIndian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed the killing of 19yearold Tarishi Jain of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh She had passed out from American School Dhaka and was studying at BerkeleyThe hostage crisis the first such incident in Bangladesh began around 830 pm on Friday after the attackers carrying firearms bombs and swords barged into the cafeThe gunmen shouting Allahu Akbar slaughtered those who were unable to recite the Quran said rescued hostagesThe siege ended around 830 am on Saturday morningThe Italian Foreign Ministry identified the Italian victims as Adele Puglisi Marco Tondat Claudia Maria Dantona Nadia Benedetti Vincenzo Dallestro Maria Rivoli Cristian Rossi Claudio Cappelli and Simona Monti