MINSK, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The soldiers of special forces for combating terrorism have released a hostage in a bank in a Belarusian town Zaslavl.

Igor Shunevich, the Interior Minister of Belarus, told local media that a criminal, armed with a knife, took a girl as a hostage in local bank in Zaslavl on Wednesday.

The minister said the negotiations with the criminal lasted more than two hours. "He behaved inadequately, threatened and refused to lay down his arms and release the hostage", he added.

According to Shunevich, when the soldiers realized that the negotiations would lead to nothing, it was decided to conduct an operation to free the hostage. The girl was not hurt. "The criminal is liquidated," the Minister informed, adding that the girl is pregnant.

The minister said that the identity of the criminal was established. It is a local resident who was twice convicted for committing grave and especially serious crimes.