Cubans Take Hostages at Embassy

HAVANA — 

Seven Cuban refugees took five other Cuban refugees and five Czechoslovak diplomats hostage at the Czechoslovak Embassy in Havana on Monday, but the diplomats were freed after five hours, diplomatic sources said.

It was not clear if the refugees had been granted their demand for a plane to fly them to the United States.

The five diplomatic hostages, looking shaken but apparently unharmed, came out of the front door of a small house next to the main embassy building where they had been held for more than five hours.

Diplomatic sources said the seven refugees and the five others remained in the house. It was not clear whether the seven were still holding the five by force.