Peru seeks peaceful end to standoff as leader held

LIMA - Peruvian authorities were trying to negotiate the surrender of an armed group holding hostages in a police station, hours after arresting their leader who had demanded the President's resignation.

Police and soldiers surrounded the police post at the centre of a four-day uprising in the Andean town of Andahuaylas during a curfew and threatened to storm it. Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero warned, "We can't wait too long."

The Government arrested the former Army major who led the uprising during surrender talks, and said it had restarted negotiations to try to secure a peaceful surrender of 150 rebels holding at least 19 hostages.

A deadline for the armed group to give up their weapons passed without any signs of an end to the standoff, but the Government held back from attacking the compound.

A man calling himself a former Army commando now in charge of the 150 remaining rebels told RPP radio there were "armed people prepared to die here".

He said the insurgent group - which killed four police officers in clashes on Monday - was holding 19 hostages, including four Army commandos and 10 police officers.

The man behind the seizure of the police station, former Army Major Antauro Humala, was arrested during talks with Peru's police chief at which the Government rejected his conditions.

Ferrero told a news conference that Humala - who called unpopular President Alejandro Toledo corrupt and demanded his resignation - was detained without a fight during talks with Peru's police chief, Felix Murazzo.

Humala was taken to an Army base in Ayacucho and was expected to be flown to Lima.

Authorities declared a state of emergency on Sunday in Andahuaylas, about 900km southeast of Lima, and sent 1000 police and troops to restore order. At least six people have been killed.

Humala's group had been holding the police hostage since he marched into the police post before dawn on New Year's Day. He said he had also captured five Government snipers.

Humala and his brother staged a failed uprising in 2000 against President Alberto Fujimori.

- REUTERS