23:17, 16 April 2021

Police report release of hostages in Tbilisi

Police cordon off area at the 'Bank of Georgia' office where hostages were taken, April 16, 2021. Screenshot: http://www.facebook.com/rustavi2/videos/501997714158663

The law enforcement bodies have detained an armed man who has taken hostages today at a branch of the Bank of Georgia in Tbilisi. None of the hostages is injured.

“Four hostages have been released in turn, two by two. No one is injured,” Vazha Siradze, the chief of the patrol police, said on the air of the “Imedi” TV Channel.

Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia issued a statement about the incident. “Today, an armed man has assaulted a branch of the Bank of Georgia in Tbilisi. He took seven people hostage. 28-year-old N. Ts. was detained as a result of a police operation that lasted more than an hour near the ‘Avlabari’ metro station,” reported the Georgian MIA as quoted by the portal "Georgia News".

The police have not disclosed the requirements of the attacker.

According to one of the versions, the attacker had overdue loans, the “Sputnik-Georgia” reports with reference to the “Rustavi-2” TV Channel.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 16, 2021 at 03:39 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Inna Kukudzhanova

Source: CK correspondent