NEW DELHI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- All the 23 children and a woman taken hostage were safely rescued and the accused killed in a police operation that lasted nearly ten hours in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, senior cops told media persons early on Friday.

Those kept hostage included the accused's wife and infant daughter, besides children from his neighbourhood.

Specially trained commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG) were flown in from New Delhi, besides other special forces from state capital Lucknow, to carry out the operation which was meticulously planned as the accused had firing capabilities, the local police officials were quoted as saying.

The local police confirmed the death of the accused identified as Subhash Batham at around 1.30 a.m. on Friday. The hostage drama had begun on Thursday afternoon.

According to media reports, the accused, who was already a murder convict, had invited the children to his home in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh on the pretext of a birthday party, and soon took them hostage.

He reportedly claimed innocence in the criminal charges he earlier faced, and even handed over his demands written on a piece of paper.

During the next few hours, several attempts were made to convince the hostage to release the students, but in vain. Enditem

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