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French police: armed robbers hold up Primark store near Paris Paris police: Primark employees evacuated after attempted armed robbery
(about 1 hour later)
A group of gunmen broke into a Primark store near Paris on Monday, trapping people inside. A group of gunmen broke into a Primark store near Paris on Monday, trapping 18 people inside for hours before fleeing and prompting a manhunt.
AFP reported that 18 people were evacuated from the shop by special forces after what appears to be a robbery attempt. All 18 people were safely evacuated from the store in a shopping centre in the town of Villeneuve-la-Garenne, according to a regional police official. She said police were now pursuing the assailants.
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”. 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.
At 7am one of the employees sent a text message to a friend saying “we are being held hostage by two armed men”. Television images showed helmeted elite police officers entering through a side door of the shopping centre. Police said the shopping centre and surrounding area were closed to the public because of the security operation.
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. An official told AP it was also unclear whether people trapped inside were being held hostage or were hiding from the gunmen.
Television images showed helmeted elite police officers entering a side door of the shopping centre. 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 river Seine about six miles north of central Paris.The store is in a shopping centre adjacent to the river Seine about six 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. There was no immediate sign of a political or other motive. The Paris region remains on high alert for terrorist activity after attacks on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket in January left 20 people dead including the attackers.