Belarusian police have killed a man suspected of taking a young woman hostage in a bank in the central city of Zaslavye.
Interior Minister Ihar Shunevich was personally in charge of the operation to release the hostage on July 18.
Shunevich told reporters the hostage was released and the alleged hostage-taker was "liquidated."
The alleged perpetrator was only identified as Syarhey K., a 46-year-old resident of Zaslavye, who authorities say was twice convicted in the past "for serious crimes."
Belarus's Investigative Committee said on July 19 that the 23-year-old hostage was Syarhey K's daughter and they had entered the bank together.
Authorities say the alleged hostage-taker was armed with a knife and threatened to kill the woman if his demands were not met.
It is not clear what kind of demands the suspect made.
Shunevich and the Investigative Committee say that officials negotiated with the perpetrator for two hours before they started the special operation to release the hostage.
An investigation was launched into the incident.