French hostage-taker used fake firearm: Official

Paris: An official has said that a man who took hostages at a school complex just south of Paris used a "fake firearm."

All hostages were released unharmed and a suspect detained after the Tuesday morning incident.

Patrick Dallennes, a top official in the Val de Marne region, said: "It wasn't a firearm he used but a fake one with gas cartridges ... without the capacity to kill."

He added: "It's made to scare... but it's not very dangerous. It was a replica and at first it was hard to tell that it was fake."

The drama began as parents dropped their children off at the complex, which was being used as a summer camp.

The alleged hostage-taker was incoherent in his talks with police and his motivations remain unclear.