Three US university students killed in Bangladesh attack

Washington: Three students from US universities, including an Indian girl, were among 20 hostages hacked to death by ISIS militants in a terror attack at a restaurant in Bangladesh capital's high-security diplomatic zone.

Nineteen-year-old Tarushi Jain, an Indian student at UC Berkeley, was on vacation in Dhaka when the attack happened.

The two other students -- Abinta Kabir and Faraaz Hossain-- were studying at Atlanta's Emory University, varsity officials said here, mourning the loss of their lives.

Bangladeshi-origin Abinta, who was from Miami, was a rising sophomore at Emory's Oxford College. Faraaz, a junior from Dhaka, was a graduate of Oxford College and a student at the university's Goizueta Business School, the university said yesterday.

"The Emory community mourns this tragic and senseless loss of two members of our university family. Our thoughts and prayers go out on behalf of Faraaz and Abinta and their families and friends for strength and peace at this unspeakably sad time," the university said in a statement.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from several US Senators, with Georgia lawmaker David Perdue asserting that "these senseless acts of terror must come to an end."

Mourning the loss of the two Emory students, Senator Perdue said innocent people were being massacred across the world at the hands of ISIS.

"These senseless acts of terror absolutely must come to an end. It is deeply disturbing to hear that two of the victims of the most recent attacks are Emory University students, keeping Abinta Kabir, Faraaz Hossain, and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers during this terrible time," Perdue said.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio said he was saddened to learn that Miami's Abinta Kabir was among the victims.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Bangladesh and all those countries who lost citizens in this horrific attack" Rubio said.