GENEVA, Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The Spanish consulate in Swiss capital Bern confirmed on Monday that an unidentified man intruded into the consulate building and had seized one or two hostages, the Swiss News Agency reported.

    A consulate official told reporters that the incident occurred around 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Monday, said the report.

    Earlier, police sealed off the Kirchenfeld neighborhood where the consulate is located, after unconfirmed reports said that several unidentified individuals had taken over the consulate and seized at least one hostage inside the building.

    Police in Bern said they did not know whether the assailant was armed or what his demand was, but a special unit had been mobilized to deal with the hostage seizure. Enditem