国际英语新闻:Hostages freed in southern Germany after police raid

INGOLSTADT, Germany, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The remaining two hostages were freed in the town hall of the southern German city of Ingolstadt as police raided the building after hours of standoff on Monday.

The gunman, holding three hostages, had released Deputy Mayor Sepp Misslbeck earlier after negotiations.

The man entered the building shortly before 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT). Police cordoned off the building and contacted directly with the hostage taker.

Shots were heard when police raided the building. The remaining two hostages, including the deputy mayor's secretariat, were freed unhurt. The offender was injured.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters that the 24-year-old hostage-taker was stalking the deputy mayor's secretariat who had finished a relationship with him.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was scheduled to visit the Bavarian city for an election rally at 17:00 (1500 GMT). The plan was cancelled due to the incident, announced her CDU and its sister party CSU in the southern German state.