The man who was holding two people inside a building in the 10th arrondissement of Paris has been arrested and the hostages have been released and are "safe and sound", according to the French police. The motives of the perpetrator still remain unclear.
According to the police, the perpetrator had included one of the hostages with gasoline. The hostage situation started shortly after 16.00 local time in a building located on a busy street in the center of the French capital.
Special forces police raided and arrested the perpetrator a few minutes before 20.00. "This person has been arrested and the hostages are not in danger," French Interior Minister Gerard Colomb said on Twitter.
So far there are no more details about the kidnapper's age or nationality. "His demands were really vague and incomprehensible. "It was difficult for the negotiator to understand him," commented an Interior Ministry official.