Bangladesh announces two days of mourning for victims of Dhaka hostage crisis

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared a two-day state mourning from Sunday as a mark of respect for the victims of Bangladesh's worst-ever hostage crisis.

Hasina made the announcement in a televised address to the nation on Saturday night.

"Islam is a religion of peace. Do not taint our religion with your hateful acts. What will you achieve by killing innocent people?" she said.

Earlier in the day, the premier condemned the attack at a cafe in Dhaka that left at least 20 civilians killed, most of which were foreigners.

Hasina called the incident a "militant attack".

Speaking at a function on Saturday, she reiterated her commitment to combat militancy and terrorism in the country at any cost.

Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the Islamic State militant group, with six of the gunmen killed and one was captured and detained alive. Enditem