Press Conferences

Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs: According to the Japanese Embassy in Bangladesh, at 9:30 p.m. on July 1, local time, or 12:30 a.m. on July 2, Japan time, an armed group consisting of several members attacked Holey Artisan Bakery, a restaurant in Dhaka. The group took hostages, initiated a siege, and started a gun battle with the police.

It appears that, as a result, several members of the security forces and others have been injured. There is also the possibility that Japanese nationals have been involved in this incident. Therefore, at 4:50 a.m. this morning, we established an emergency response headquarters that I will lead, and are currently exerting all our efforts to secure the safety of Japanese nationals, as well as confirming the facts.

Furthermore, in coordination with the Prime Minister's Office, we have decided to dispatch members of the Counter Terrorism Unit - Japan to Dhaka to strengthen our information gathering efforts. Terrorism cannot be justified for any reason. The Japanese Government will work in cooperation with the international community to combat terrorism. This concludes my opening remarks.

Reporter: Has the armed group issued any demands?

Minister Kishida: The situation is as I have stated in my opening remarks. We are currently confirming the facts and I would like to announce what needs to be announced once all the facts have been confirmed. At this stage I would like to refrain from making any further remarks. Thank you.