Sudan Police Storm U.A.E. Embassy, Release Hostages
KHARTOUM, Sudan — Police stormed the United Arab Emirates Embassy today and freed unharmed the ambassador and other diplomats who were held hostage by a gunman threatening to blow up the mission, a senior police official said.
Provincial Police Commissioner Alfatih Abdoun said a man holding a hand grenade and a gun held all embassy members, including Ambassador Mohammed Sultan al Soued, hostage in the top envoy’s office for five hours.
The official said special forces police stormed the embassy this afternoon and arrested the gunman. No one was wounded in the incident.
The official said that the gunman had a Sudanese passport but that his nationality is being investigated. Egypt’s Middle East News Agency earlier reported the man was a U.A.E. national.
The police official said the man threatened to blow up the embassy in the fashionable Amarat suburb of Khartoum unless he was allowed to talk over the telephone with the Emirates president, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan.
Sudanese authorities were reportedly not able to put a call through.
The gunman said he was seeking the release of three people under arrest in the Emirates, authorities said.
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