Police hunt hostage-takers
Swiss police fought over the Spanish consulate in the capital Bern earlier this week, searching for hostage-takers who were holed up there. About 10 Swiss police entered the building where three intruders were believed to be holding hostages. The hostage-takers, armed with knives and a gun, broke in but their motives were not clear. Two people, who had been held hostage, were freed with the help of police and a security guard was hurt during the break-in. Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, announced that the incident had ended peacefully without bloodshed. Moratinos said that the three hooded intruders who entered the consulate, describing them as “robbers”, had left and that the Spanish staff were unharmed. The intruders broke into the building at 8am local time (7am GMT) on Monday. Swiss police posted snipers around the building and sealed off the area, Kirchenfeld, with armoured vehicles.
