A man, who has claimed to be armed with both a firearm and a bomb, has taken several people hostage on the rue des Petites-Écuries in the 10th arrondissement of Paris demanding to speak with the Iranian embassy.
Police have arrived on the scene and the man is believed to be holding three people hostage including a pregnant woman and has told police that one of the hostages has been seriously injured. The entire neighbourhood has been put under lockdown by police, French radio broadcaster France Bleu reports.
Update 3:55 pm EST: All hostages have been released according to French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb who wrote on Twitter, “The individual has been arrested and the hostages are out of danger. I welcome the professionalism and responsiveness of the police and relief forces.”
The man has been identified as a 26-year-old born in Morocco with the motivation for the incident still being largely unknown according to investigators. While the man has been linked to several petty crimes, the French Interior Ministry noted that he had not been a known radical Islamic extremist.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office has said they have opened an investigation into the incident and could be looking at potential charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and armed violence.
Update 12:56 pm EST: One hostage has been released by the hostage-taker who has still yet to be identified. Sources claim that the hostage was beaten by the suspect and had petrol poured over them before being released to firefighters.
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