Children Unharmed as Hostage Standoff Ends in Malaysia

Posted July 7th, 2011 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
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Malaysian police have freed 30 pre-school children and their teachers hours after they were taken hostage Thursday by a hammer-wielding man in southern Jolor state.

Police fired tear gas and stormed the building after several hours of negotiations had failed. The standoff ended when a police sniper shot and wounded the suspect.

All of the hostages were freed unharmed.

The Malaysian Star newspaper says the man barged into the kindergarten wielding a hammer. Police say he threatened to kill the children if negotiators did not give him a gun.