Police in the central province of Thua Thien Hue rescued a young girl on January 17 who had been kidnapped and was being held at the Nhu Phuoc Hotel, Cao Xuan Duc Street, Vi Da Ward.

Residents January 16 look on outside the Nhu Phuoc Hotel in the central province of Thua Thien Hue as police arrest a man accused of kidnapping a young girl

The kidnapper, Nguyen Van Minh, a private first class officer of the 968 land force at Cam Lo district, Quang Tri Province used an AK assault rifle to threaten and kidnap the girl around 6 pm on January 16.

Half an hour after the girl was abducted, police began investigating.

Unable to reason with Minh, police asked his mother and friends to convince Minh to give himself up.

According to nearby residents, more than 11 gunshots were fired from the hotel before Minh was arrested around 5 am the next morning.

The incident drew large crowds which caused several traffic jams and forced police to break up the disorderly crowd.

Minh had recently had an argument with his girlfriend, said a relative of Minh.

According to initial reports, Minh had become upset after his girlfriend rejected him because his family was poor.

Minh later went out looking for his girlfriend after stealing the AK assault rifle from the land force.

Unable to find her, he forced a motorbike driver to take him to the hotel.

Minh then kidnapped the girl, a student of Nguyen Truong To secondary school, and held her hostage.