Hostage situation ended in German city of Dresden

Berlin, The Gulf Observer: German police say they have ended a hostage situation in the eastern city of Dresden, following reports of shots fired Saturday morning.

Police had urged people to avoid an area in the city center and ordered Dresden’s Christmas market to remain closed while the operation was underway.

Shortly after noon police announced on Twitter that the hostage situation was over. “Two outwardly uninjured people are in our care,” they added. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the suspect had been arrested.

Radio Dresden reported that a gunman earlier tried to enter a building where the broadcaster is based, near the city’s main train station. The man reportedly fired several shots before fleeing, according to Radio Dresden.

Dresden police separately confirmed that a 62-year-old woman was found dead in another part of the city Saturday. Her 40-year-old son was named as a suspect. Police declined to confirm whether there was a connection between the killing and the hostage-taking.