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National Mourning over Dhaka Victims | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Security personnel reacts near the Holey Artisan restaurant after gunmen attacked the upscale cafe, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 2, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammd Ponir Hossain


Dhaka-Bangladeshis held a national mourning ceremony for the civilians killed in a terrorist attack last week.

The video showed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the memorial paying her respect to the victims and placing flowers over the coffins.

Twenty people, most of them foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh claimed by ISIS. Gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka late on Friday and had a stand-off for 12 hours.

Six attackers were also killed and one was arrested, officials said. Nine Italians, seven Japanese, an American and an Indian were also among the dead.

ISIS posted pictures of five fighters involved in the attack. Posts on Facebook soon identified the men, pictured in front of a black flag, as Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Andaleeb Ahmed and Raiyan Minhaj.

“Let the people of the crusader countries know that there is no safety for them as long as their aircraft are killing Muslims,” ISIS said in a statement.

Police officials are trying to identify the terrorists and whether the names and pictures mentioned on social media were true.

Dekkah Police Deputy Chief Masoud Rahman said that information revealed that some of the gunmen were graduates of prestigious schools. Rahman also said that police investigations are still ongoing.

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

Police arrested a seventh man at the restaurant who they suspect played a role in the attack. He is currently in hospital.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan blamed a local militant group which claims to represent ISIS but has no proven links.

“Anyone who believes in religion cannot do such an act,” she said, “they do not have any religion. Their only religion is terrorism.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has offered Hasina help to investigate those behind the killing of 20 people at a Dhaka restaurant.

“The Secretary encouraged the government of Bangladesh to conduct its investigation in accordance with the highest international standards and offered immediate assistance from U.S. law enforcement, including the FBI,” U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.