Tokyo - Police in riot gear stormed a hijacked bus near Hiroshima early today, ending a 15-hour stand-off with a teenager who fatally stabbed a 68-year-old woman and held a six-year-old girl at knifepoint.
Amid smoke bombs and flashes, more than 20 officers stormed the inter-city bus at an expressway service area, pulling the hostages out through windows and dragging the 17-year-old hijacker out the front door. He was quickly taken away.
Police said all remaining hostages - believed to be nine women passengers plus the 57-year-old driver - were safe. The hijacker has a history of mental illness.