Paris, Aug 6 (AP) A man apparently armed with a revolver took half a dozen people hostage at a bank in the port city of Le Havre on Thursday, police said.

He subsequently freed two of his captives but continued to hold the other four.

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The special intervention unit RAID was expected shortly. RAID officers are trained to negotiate to try to defuse tense situations, and move in if that fails.

An official in France's national police said the hostage-taker was known to have psychological problems. However, the official did not confirm French media reports that he had put forth confused demands.

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The official could not be identified by name, in keeping with French custom.

The hostage-taking began shortly before 5 p.m. Police quickly blocked off the area.

The two people freed were uninjured.

Le Havre is a major port city in western France. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)