PARIS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- French police ended a hostage drama Tuesday afternoon at a bank in a suburb in the southern part of Paris. The two hostage takers gave themselves up after persuasion and the six captives were freed unharmed.

    The suspected robbers entered a branch of the Credit Lyonnais bank at Rungis on Tuesday morning, taking hostage four employees and two customers, police said.

    Rungis is known for its biggest wholesale food market in Europe.

    A special police unit was called in to surround the bank and begin negotiations with the two men, who released four of the hostages before the officers entered the bank to arrest them and freed the remaining two.