US State Department Spokesman John Kirby. Photo: AP
The US State Department has said it “cannot yet confirm” the link of
Middle-east-based terror group Islamic State (IS) with the hostage
crisis at a restaurant in Bangladesh capital Dhaka though the group
reportedly claimed credit for the attack.
“We have seen ISIL claims of responsibility, but cannot yet confirm and
are assessing the information available to us,” US Department of State
Spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.
Issued after the crisis unfolded in Dhaka, the statement reads: “We join
with the people of Bangladesh in expressing our outrage at this brutal
act of terrorism and offer our condolences to the friends and families
of the victims, including Bangladeshi law enforcement officials who have
been killed or injured responding to the attack.”
The US embassy in Dhaka has confirmed 100 percent accountability of all
official American personnel with no injuries reported, the statement
said. “We are working with the local authorities to determine if any US
citizens and locally–employed staff were affected.”
As the news reached, the embassy issued a shelter-in-place order, it said.
“This order was issued out of caution, but at no time was the embassy compound itself under immediate threat from this attack.”
The US officials are in “ongoing contact with the government of
Bangladesh” as the situation continues to unfold, said the statement.
“We have offered our assistance in their efforts to bring to justice
those responsible for these attacks and to combat terrorism and violent
extremism.”
