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Gunman dies at Estonian defence ministry in Tallinn Gunman dies at Estonian defence ministry in Tallinn
(about 3 hours later)
A gunman has died after taking hostages at Estonia's defence ministry in Tallinn, reports say. A gunman has died in a shoot-out with police at Estonia's defence ministry in Tallinn, reports say.
Police arrived at the ministry after shots or small explosions were heard at about 15:30 (12:30 GMT). The motives of the gunman - named as Karen Drambjan, an Estonian citizen born in Armenia - remain unclear.
The building was evacuated and police cordoned off the area. He entered the building firing a pistol and setting off a smoke bomb shortly after 15:00 (12:00 GMT), officials said.
It is not clear whether the gunman killed himself or was shot dead by police in an operation to free hostages, state broadcaster ERR reported. The building was quickly evacuated and police cordoned off the area.
No other casualties have been reported. Ministry employees jumped out of windows to flee the scene, TV images showed. Defence Minister Mart Laar was not in the ministry at the time of the incident.
A former Estonian soldier had detonated an explosive device and fired a shot before taking a security guard hostage, a ministry official told ERR. Officials said armed police wearing body armour entered the building about two hours later when the gunman was killed in a firefight. One policeman was injured.
Other ministry employees jumped out of windows to flee the scene, before armed police wearing body armour entered the building, TV images showed. Officials denied early reports by Estonia's national broadcaster ERR that he had served in Estonia's army and had taken a security guard hostage.
Defence Minister Mart Laar was not thought to be in the ministry at the time of the hostage-taking. "Hostages were not taken during the incident, although two people who had been in the ministry of defence were briefly in the hands of the perpetrator," said Estonian prosecutors.
They added that the gunman had been born in Armenia in 1954 and spoke Russian, but made no demands during the incident. An investigation has been opened.