US ready to help Bangladesh tackle suicide, Kerry tells Hasina

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to offer US assistance following a terror attack on a restaurant in Dhaka last week, Bangladesh News reported. 

The message was from US President Barack Obama, Kerry said during the conversation on Sunday night. 

Washington has offered to provide Dhaka with information it can use against militants, prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said. 

Twenty hostages were murdered by gunmen who laid siege to Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen, leading to an unprecedented hostage situation on Friday night.

Of them, 17 were nationals of Italy, Japan and India. On Saturday morning, army commandos stormed the café, took out the attackers and freed 13 hostages.

Among the dead was a US citizen of Bangladeshi origin.

Secretary Kerry condemned the attack on behalf of President Obama. “Kerry thanked the prime minister and said the US was willing to offer intelligence for combating of militants,” said Karim.

"The prime minister informed him that a counter-terrorism unit had been added to the Bangladesh police.

She thanked President Obama for his support for Bangladesh.

Source ; MENA