150 homes have been evacuated in the town of Ede, the Netherlands where an attacker unknown has taken several people hostage at a popular drinking spot overnight.
UPDATE 1330: At a press conference following the hostage situation, Chief Officer of the East Netherlands Public Prosecution Service Marthyne Kunst said that the suspect was armed with several knives and had shown them to the hostages. It has also been revealed that the suspect was known to law enforcement, however, no motive for the incident has been revealed.
UPDATE 1200: Local law enforcement and city government officials in Ede have confirmed to Dutch broadcaster NOS that a hostage situation in a cafe has come to an end, with a fourth hostage being released and a man wearing a balaclava being taken into police custody. The motive behind the incident remains unclear at the time of this reporting.
The original story continues as follows…
Large numbers of police, special units including snipers, police robots, and other emergency services personnel descended on the central Dutch town of Ede in the early hours of Saturday morning after patrons at the Petticoat Cafe, a late-night bar that was due to remain open and serving drinks until 0400 Central European Time (2300 EST) this morning, were taken hostage.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reports a police spokesman who speaks of a “dangerous person… who could pose a danger to himself or others”, but whether that individual is armed or even inside the bar has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, the fact officers have evacuated 150 nearby homes, shut down the railway running through the town, and surrounded the building with barriers and screens suggests they are mindful of the possibility the situation could impact the neighbourhood yet.
Police and emergency services gather as several people have been taken hostage in Ede, on March 30, 2024. “A hostage situation involving several people is underway in a building in the centre” of the town of Ede, police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. It is not known how many people are being held but local media have reported around four or five people are involved. (Photo by various sources / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by -/ANP/PERSBUREAU HEITINK/AFP via Getty Images)
Indeed, NOS reports police said “it was decided to err on the side of caution” when deciding to order the fire brigade to evacuate nearby homes, “because we are taking different scenarios into account”. No details are known about the hostage-taker but police have said they have no knowledge suggesting a terrorism motive at this time.
Ede town hall has confirmed a hostage situation is underway. The first major developments since police were called around 0630 on Saturday morning came a little after 1100 when a police robot was seen delivering a brown bag to the cafe. The contents of this bag are unknown but three hostages were released shortly afterwards.
Despite those three people, one of them wearing a bar uniform, being able to walk out to police with hands raised and in an “emotional” state, police say the situation is “not over yet”, suggesting more hostages may still be held.
This story is developing.
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