Washington, Jun 4 (IANS): An armed man who fired gunshots at police officers and held two children hostage inside a private residence in the city of Oakland, Northern California, has surrendered after a 12-hour standoff, officials said.

"The incident was peacefully resolved. The subject was in communications with our Tactical Negotiators and agreed to let the children exit the home. Shortly after the subject exited the home and surrendered to police," the Oakland Police Department tweeted in Wednesday evening.

Police officers saw the man shooting a rifle from inside a residence on the 5700 block of Harmon Avenue early Wednesday morning, reports Xinhua news agency.

No one was injured in the incident, according to the police.

The man was holding two children, aged six and eight, hostage inside the residence.

A woman believed to be his wife managed to escape, the reports said.

A SWAT team responded to the situation and police had been in contact with the man after the first shots were fired, the police said.