US working with Bangladesh to verify ‘IS claims’: Envoy

US Ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat today said her country is working with the Bangladesh government to verify the alleged IS claims of killing two foreign nationals in Bangladesh last week.

Condemning the killings, the US ambassador to Bangladesh said their government has taken the claims seriously, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

In reply to a query on whether the US has any plans to investigate the killings, she said, “Initial investigation is ongoing. We will remain engaged with Bangladesh as we value Bangladesh as a strong partner in countering violent extremism and terrorism.”

She was talking to journalists at a press briefing after the concluding ceremony of the five-day joint naval exercise titled ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh Exercise 2015’ between Bangladesh and US navies.

Earlier in her speech as special guest at the ceremony the US envoy said, “We value the steps Bangladesh has taken to counter the illicit trafficking of people and drugs, as well as Bangladesh’s anti-piracy actions taken on the high seas. This in turn, helps fight other forms of transnational crime, including terrorism.”

Bernicat also said a mutual logistic support agreement could positively benefit the navy of  both the countries in conducting bilateral refueling and re-supply operations anywhere on the seas, should a disaster strike, a threat emerge, or a training opportunity arise.

Such agreement would make the navy of both countries faster and more responsive in providing security in the Bay of Bengal, she remarked.

This is the fifth consecutive annual exercise titled ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh Exercise 2015’ between the two navies since 2011.