Hostages freed after Bangladesh forces storm Dhaka restaurant

Bangladesh police have stormed a restaurant in the capital Dhaka, rescuing at least 13 people, including foreigners, held hostage by gunmen.

At least six attackers were killed in the assault on the restaurant in Gulshan, the diplomatic quarter of the city, according to a Bangladeshi official.

Television footage on Saturday morning showed a number of police being led away from the site with blood on their faces and clothes.

Heavily armed officers were seen standing on the street outside the building.

Earlier police said a foreigner, possibly Japanese, had escaped from the restaurant during the operation.

Japanese official Koichi Hagiuda, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, later said that one Japanese citizen, who had been shot and injured, had been rescued in the operation.

Mr Hadiuda said the man's injuries were not life threatening.

Seven others were thought to have been inside the restaurant, but the Japanese authorities had not been able to contact them.

As the attack got under way there were reports of more than 100 commandos having been engaged in the rescue mission.

A police officer at the scene said that when security forces tried to enter the premises at the beginning of the siege they met a hail of bullets and grenades.

Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was quoted by Reuters as saying security forces had tried to negotiate a way out of the crisis.

The so-called Islamic State militant group has claimed the restaurant attack, and said that 24 people had died, but Bangladesh police denied the claim, saying the gunmen had killed two police officers and the at least 20 people had been wounded.