Arrest of gunman ends hostage seige in central Paris

PARIS: A gunman who took two people hostage in central Paris on Tuesday has been arrested and his victims freed “safe and sound”, police in the French capital said.

“Two hostages. including one who had petrol poured on them,” have been freed police said.

The standoff began around 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), with BFM television reporting that the man had entered the offices of a start-up company on the Rue des Petites Ecuries, a gritty area of the bustling 10th arrondissement.

At least one other man was lightly injured while fighting with the hostage-taker and escaping before police arrived on the scene.

The motive for the attack was not clear but incident did not appear to be terrorism-related.

“Based on our initial investigations it could be a mentally unstable person whose motivations are still unclear,” another source said.