Identities of 5 Bangla cafe attackers confirmed: official

Dhaka, Aug 23 (PTI) DNA tests have confirmed theidentities of five of the seven militants involved inBangladesh’s worst terror attack last month in which 22 peoplewere killed, an official said today. "The five attackers were identified previously but theiridentities have been confirmed after matching their DNA withtheir family members," said Masudur Rahman, DeputyCommissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The militants, who were from well-off families and hadEnglish medium backgrounds, were identified as Nibras Islam,Rohan Imtiaz, Khairul Islam Payel, Shafiqul Islam Uzzal andMeer Saameh Mubasser. Rahman said the identity of Holey Artisan Bakery’s pizzachef Saiful Chowkidar had also been confirmed after thetesting, ‘Dhaka Tribune’ reported. Twenty hostages, mostly foreigners, were hacked to deathon July 1 by seven militants inside at a popular upscaleeatery in Dhaka’s Gulshan neighbourhood before commandoslaunched an assault, killing six attackers and capturing onealive. Indian girl Tarushi, 19, who among the hostages who werekilled by the attackers. Two police officers were also killedin the attack. Photos of suspected attackers had surfaced in publicdomain in the aftermath of the Gulshan cafe siege, promptingsocial media users and journalists to search for theiridentities and look into family and educational backgrounds.PTI MRJ ASKMRJ