Hostage taker in Peru arrested

"The leader of the armed group that attacked the police station and killed four police officers is under arrest and has been taken out of Adahuaylas," Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero told reporters in Lima.

"We will do all we can to persuade the group still holding 17 hostages inside the police station to surrender their weapons and leave the premises peacefully," he added.

Rebel leader Antauro Humala first gave AFP the news of his arrest. "I have been placed under arrest by military order and in the next few hours I will be taken to anti-terrorist police headquarters in Lima," Humala said on his cellphone.

Humala was negotiating with national police chief Felix Murazzo at the town hall of Adahuaylas, where his followers on Saturday took over the local police station to demand the resignation of President Toledo.