Siberian bank hostage-take killed, hostages freed

LENINSK-KUZNETSKY. March 14. KAZINFORM Armed man who took hostages inside the office of a commercial bank in the city of Leninsk-Kuznetsky, southern Siberia, has been killed and all the hostages have been freed, sources at the Kemerovo region's Department of the Interior said.

The criminal had a genuine explosive device on him, officials at the regional administration told Itar-Tass. ?While talks with the criminal were underway, a special operation was prepared and effectuated,? a source said. ?It turned out in the course of contacts with him that he was perfectly prepared for the action.? ?It appeared soon that any more talks with the terrorist were senseless, as he kept repeating, give me money or I?ll blow up everything,? he said. ?The operation to render him harmless was carried out by the Omon riot police,? the source said. ?They penetrated the building and shot him dead. His personality is being identified at the moment?, Kazinform cites ITAR-TASS. By the time of reporting, investigators at the Kemerovo region?s committee for investigations had instituted a criminal case over the seizure of the Ursa-Bank?s office.