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French police: armed robbers hold up Primark store near Paris French police: armed robbers hold up Primark store near Paris
(35 minutes later)
Gunmen have holed themselves up in a Primark store near Paris with about 10 people inside, after what appears to be an attempt to rob the shop. A group of gunmen broke into a Primark store near Paris on Monday, trapping people inside.
AFP reported that 18 people were evacuated from the shop by special forces after what appears to be a robbery attempt.
Police said it appeared that two or three armed men entered the shop in Villeneuve-la-Garenne at about 6.30am with the intention of robbing it.Police said it appeared that two or three armed men entered the shop in Villeneuve-la-Garenne at about 6.30am with the intention of robbing it.
At 7am one of the employees sent a text message to a friend saying “we are being held hostage by two armed men”.At 7am one of the employees sent a text message to a friend saying “we are being held hostage by two armed men”.
Police have stopped all traffic in the area around the Qwartz mall where the Primark store is located. All other shops in the vicinity have been closed, and special forces have been dispatched to the scene. Police stopped all traffic in the area around the Qwartz mall where the Primark store is located and special forces were dispatched to the scene.
It is not clear whether the gunmen were still inside the building or whether they had fled. They locked the staff in a safe room. It is not clear whether the gunmen were still inside the building or whether they had fled. An official told AP it is also unclear whether people trapped inside were being held hostage or were hiding from the gunmen.
More details soon … Television images showed several helmeted elite police officers entering a side door of the shopping centre mid-morning. Police said the shopping centre and surrounding area were closed to the public because of the security operation.
The store is in a shopping centre adjacent to the Seine River and about 6 miles north of central Paris.
There was no immediate sign of a political or other motive for the robbery. The Paris region remains on high alert for terrorist activity after an attack on a kosher supermarket and satirical newspaper offices in January, leaving 20 people dead including the attackers.