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AzerNEWS Staff

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Special forces in Curitiba, the capital of Brazil’s Paraná state, have neutralised an armed man who held 13 children and kindergarten staff hostage for approximately three hours.

The state’s military police provided details of the incident.

The hostage situation unfolded in the afternoon at a municipal early childhood education centre in the São Braz district. The man climbed over a fence to enter the building and barricaded himself inside a room occupied by children aged four to five. Staff managed to evacuate the other children in time.

The attacker was armed with a knife and had a replica pistol. He also poured a flammable liquid into the room and threatened to start a fire.

“We decided to launch a tactical assault at the appropriate moment. The man was holding a lighter and threatening to set the room on fire, so we entered,” said Alexandre Lopes Dias, commander of the Special Operations Unit.

Police said officers opened fire when the attacker attempted to seize one of the children.

All 13 children were freed. Two sustained injuries, while five were taken to hospital for medical examinations. Psychological assistance was provided to all the children.

Law enforcement officials said preliminary assessments suggested that the attacker may have had schizophrenia. During the three-hour negotiations, his speech was reportedly incoherent. However, this information has not been presented as a confirmed medical diagnosis.

The man dropped a letter upon entering the kindergarten. Investigators are examining its contents as they work to establish the motive behind the incident.