Gunmen on run after taking 18 people hostage in French Primark robbery

French special forces are hunting three gunmen who took 18 hostages at a Primark store in Paris. The gunmen entered the Primark store in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, north-west of the French capital, at 6.30am local time, sources said. It is understood a female Primark employee sent a text message to her boyfriend at 7am saying she was being held hostage by two armed men. It is understood all hostages have been released but the gunmen are at large. There is no early suggestion of a terrorist link.

Around 6:30 am (0530 GMT), two or three armed criminals went into the Primark store for what we think was initially an attempt at armed robbery.

Police source

Special police units surrounded the clothes store, police said. Shutters at other stores in the precinct remained closed. Le Parisien newspaper said that up to 18 hostages had been taken. It quoted witnesses who say people were running near the store screaming: “They are armed, they are armed.” They locked the staff in a safe room. It is not clear how the robbers escaped or what, if anything, the fled with.

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