French kindergarten hostage drama ends without bloodshed

PARIS - A hostage-taking drama at a kindergarten in eastern France ended without bloodshed Monday when a teenage youth let free his remaining hostages and surrendered to police, officials said.

The 17-year-old, wielding two sabres, had stormed the kindergarten in Besancon, some 250 km southeast of Paris, at 8.30 a.m. (0730 GMT), taking the children and teacher hostage.

After police contacted him by telephone, the youth let about a dozen of the children free, but continued to hold five children and their teacher.

A special police unit arrived later and entered the building to hold negotiations with the teenager, who local reports said had a history of emotional instability and was taking medications.

Police finally persuaded him to free the remaining hostages - the five children and teacher. The youth was arrested at the scene, the Charles Fourier kindergarten.

French television had aired emotional scenes outside the kindergarten building where frantic parents were hugging those children who had been released earlier on.