Cologne station hostage situation: How it unfolded

A man took a woman hostage at a pharmacy at Cologne train station around 12:45 p.m. (1045 UTC) on Monday, police said. Police believed the hostage-taker was armed. "We're doing everything to get the hostage out of there unharmed," police spokesman Christoph Gilles said initially.

Cologne train station, one of the biggest in the country, was evacuated and cordoned off. Police urged locals to avoid the area and warned of likely disruptions to train services. Deutsche Bahn, Germany's main train operator, said the station would be closed until further notice and all traffic, including long-distance connections, had been suspended.

DW's Dana Regev was at the scene and watched as negotiation crisis units. Police spokesman Christoph Gilles said they were working to find out "what the hostage-taker wants, what his demands are and whether he carries a weapon," adding that police were not aware of the man's motive.

Police could not confirm eye-witness reports that shots and explosions were heard. Ambulances and heavily-armed police were lined up and waiting behind the train station. DW's Dana Regev reported that two shots had been fired inside the station. A 14-year-old girl was seriously injured with burns during the course of the hostage situation.

Police captured the hostage-taker who was seriously injured and rescued the woman he had taken hostage. "The suspect is under control," Cologne police said. "A female hostage has sustained light injuries and is being tended to."

Police later said the suspect, who was badly wounded when police arrived, claimed to be a member of the Islamic State (IS). The man first hurled a Molotov cocktail inside a fast-food restaurant, injuring the 14-year-old girl, then took another woman hostage in a nearby pharmacy. He was holding a real or replica pistol when commandos stormed the site and was in possession of camping gas containers.