Bangladesh to Inform Italy of Italian Dhaka Cafe Attack Victims - Rome

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali has promised to provide his Italian counterpart, Paolo Gentiloni, with information on all Italian victims of the Dhaka hostage crisis once it is available, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

ROME (Sputnik) — On Friday, Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for taking hostages inside a cafe located in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter. Some media outlets quoted the Bangladeshi army as saying that all of those killed were foreigners, mainly Italian and Japanese citizens.

"Minister Mahmud Ali took on the responsibility to provide minister Gentiloni with information about the fate of the Italian citizens as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, the Bangladeshi army said that at least 20 people were killed by the hostage takers before the Bangladeshi security forces began their operation to free hostages.

A special police operation to free the hostages has ended, with a total of 13 people rescued, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said earlier. Security forces killed six attackers captured one, with two security officers killed during the operation, according to reports.