German police end hostage situation in Ulm

BERLIN - German police have apprehended a gunman who took a person hostage at a Starbucks coffee shop in the southwestern city of Ulm on Friday.

"At 8.20 p.m local time, the armed male perpetrator left the building with a hostage and tried to flee the scene," Ulm police said in a statement.

"The police responded with firearms. The perpetrator was arrested. The hostage was unharmed," the police said.

The motive behind the gunman's actions was not immediately clear.

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper has also traveled to Saudi Arabia for urgent coordination talks, according to the report.

Ships using the passage can reach the Red Sea and Suez without making the much longer journey around southern Africa.

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