Security forces in Bangladesh have battled militants holding dozens of hostages, including foreigners, inside a restaurant.
Bangladesh security forces including 100 commandos have stormed a restaurant where dozens of people including foreigners were held hostage by suspected Islamist militants, a security official has said.
A journalist at the scene said he could hear intense gunfighting as security forces launched the operation in the capital Dhaka more than 10 hours after the hostages were taken.
Two explosions were heard after the gunfire stopped and a police official told AP that five bodies have been recovered.
There are reports from police that anywhere between eight and 12 people have been rescued.
Some reports say at least one foreign may be among those rescued, but the exact number is yet to be confirmed.
Eight or nine attackers stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery on Friday, with the so-called Islamic State claiming it carried out the assault.
One kitchen staffer said the gunmen were armed with firearms and bombs, entering the bakery at around 9.20pm local time and taking customers and staff hostage at gunpoint.
The restaurant's supervisor Sumon Reza, who jumped from the roof to escape, said 20 foreigners were being held hostage and a further 15 locals were also thought to be in the restaurant.
An Italian foreign ministry source said Italians were among them.
At least two policemen are reported to have been killed as officers surrounded the restaurant, located in the Gulshan area of the capital, and a massive firefight erupted.
Another 25 officers and one civilian are being treated for injuries, with 10 people in a critical condition, according to hospital authorities.
One local TV station reported that the gunmen chanted "Allahu Akbar" as they launched their assault.
The US State Department has said the hostage situation is "still fluid".
A spokesman said it was too early to say who was involved, but that all Americans working at the US mission in Dhaka had been accounted for.
President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation, and has asked to be kept informed of developments, the White House said.
The restaurant is located near a small hospital as well as the Nordic Club, a private members' club popular with expats.
There has been a string of recent attacks on religious minorities and secular activists by suspected Islamist militants Bangladesh.
Earlier on Friday, a Hindu temple worker was hacked to death in southwest Bangladesh by three assailants.
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