Illustration
IllustrationReuters

ISIS terrorists seized a café popular with foreign visitors in the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh Friday night, holding dozens hostage before systematically slaughtering those unable to recite verses from the Koran.

The café, which is located in the Gulshan district in an area with a heavy concentration of foreign embassies, was captured Friday evening by ISIS terrorists, who killed two Bangladeshi police officers in a gun battle.

During the ensuing 12-hour siege, terrorists demanded hostages recite verses from the Islamic holy book. Those who were unable to do so were hacked to death.

On Saturday commando forces ended the standoff, killing six terrorists.

Inside, Bangladeshi police discovered a slaughter, with 20 civilians dead. Most had been stabbed or sliced to death with blades, a local police official said.

At least one American was among the dead, along with nine Italians, and seven Japanese citizens.

Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has declared two days of national morning in the wake of the deadly attack.

The slaughter came on the heels of the murder of a Hindu temple worker who was killed earlier on Friday by Islamic terrorists.

Islamists in Bangladesh have killed scores of non-Muslims and secularists in a campaign of sectarian killings over the past months, including Hindus, atheists and Christians.