Violence continues in Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- An Uzbek official said early today that a lone militant who had been holed up in a house blew himself up, ending a standoff in the Uzbek capital that has been rocked by four days of violence.

The official said there had been no hostages in the house and contradicted police who claimed several assailants had taken a large number of captives.

Oleg Bichenov, Tashkent city police anti-terrorism deputy chief, said the man -- barricaded in a house and surrounded by police -- had detonated explosives, killing himself. He said the man had taken no hostages and was alone.