A man took seven employees of the Kaspi Bank hostage in the bank's building in the Kazakh capital, Astana, late on June 18, but the crisis was resolved with no casualties after special police forces stormed the premises, the Central Asian nation's Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov said. According to Akhmetzhanov, the man had debts to the bank and demanded, among other things, financial support for his relatives. Local media reports identified the hostage-taker as Alikhan Muradov, who also demanded money for disabled people and families with lower incomes. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Bank Hostage Drama In Kazakh Capital Ends With No Casualties
Kazakh special forces officers stand outside the Kaspi Bank building in Astana where a man held seven people hostage on June 18.