Dhaka: Two senior police officials were killed and around 53 people, includingseveral policemen, were injured in anexchange of gunfire between police and gunmen who stormed into a Spanish restaurant in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Friday night and took inmates hostage.

Stay with us and get the latest update of the incident---

05:00am, Saturday

RAB officials said the rescue operation is underway.

04:30am, Saturday

A report by Reuters quoting the Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, Mario Palmer, said that seven of his countrymen were among the hostages.

04:00am, Saturday

US President Barack Obama has briefed about the attack on the Gulshan restaurant, quoting White House Reuters said.

‘The president asked to be kept informed as the situation develops,’ a White House official told the British news agency.

03:45am, Saturday

Two of the hostages — an Argentine citizen and a Bangladeshi-- somehow came out of the restaurant around 2:30am, police officials said.

03:30am, Saturday

Law enforcers estimated that some 30 people are still being held hostage by the criminals.

03:05am, Saturday

A large contingency of police and security guards cordoned off the area and police said they hoped to negotiate with the gunmen.

02:45am, Saturday

The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage Command, a special commando force of Bangladesh Navy reached the restaurant.

02:20am, Saturday

Security has been tightened around all important establishments in Dhaka.

01:45am, Saturday

A 30-member commando team of Bangladesh Navy started for the spot to join the rescue operation, said TV stations.

01:25am, Saturday

According to TV stations’ reports another police official, Rabiul, succumbed to his injuries. Police said they are preparing heavily-armoured vehicles in an attempt to storm the premises and rescue those held inside.

01:00am, Saturday

Three of the injured — constables Alamgir, 26, and Pradip, 28, and Abdur Razzak, a microbus driver — are undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and several foreign nationals are still inside the restaurant.

12:40am, Saturday

Locals claimed that they have heard several numbers of women and children crying from inside the restaurant.

12:25am, Saturday

A high official of DMP said Banani police station OC Salauddin Khan, who received injuries earlier, succumbed to his injuries.

12:15am, Saturday

Benazir also called upon the television channels not to telecast the drive live in the national interest.

12:00am, Saturday

Director General of Rapid Action Battalion Benazir Ahmed said that the criminals allowed some of the restaurant employees to come out. Benazir said they would try to talk to the criminals and resolve problem in a peaceful manner as it is their first choice.

11:30pm, Friday

The US and the UK issued security alerts for their citizens staying around the Gulshan area.

11:00pm, Friday

Banani police station officer-in-charge Salahuddin among several law enforcers injured during the gunfight. The members of law enforcing agencies retreated in face of indiscriminate firing.

10:30pm, Friday

All the surrounding roads were also blocked by the law enforcing agency members for security reasons.

10:00pm, Friday

Members of law enforcement agencies, including police, Rab and Border Guard Bangladesh, went to the spot and cordoned off the restaurant.

09:30pm, Friday

Police said the criminals opened fire at the law enforcers from inside the restaurant, leaving many injured. In retaliation, the law enforcers also opened fire, triggering a gunfight.

09:15pm, Friday

An assistant commissioner (patrol) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said that the gunshots erupted at the restaurant at about 9:15pm after police rushed in on information.

08:45pm, Friday

Eight to nine gunmen entered the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in the capital’s Gulshan area and opened fire on. They also reported as many as 20 people taken hostage.