PARIS, January 16. /TASS/. An unidentified man, who took hostages at a post office in the city of Colombes, north-west of Paris, has been detained by police, and the three hostages were freed, on Friday.

They have left the scene safe and sound accompanied by police officers.

The hostages were taken by the man in the afternoon at a post office in Colombes. The gunman himself reported to the police by phone, claiming he was heavily armed.

The law enforcement agencies said there was no connection with terrorism. The hostage-taker turned out to be a mentally unstable man who had lived through a personal tragedy.

It has not been made known so far what he had been armed with but his backpack was found on the site of the incident.