Police operation in Paris as man holds 2 hostages

PARIS – Police in riot gear on Tuesday surrounded the entrance of a building in central Paris where a man was holding at least two people hostage, French authorities said.

There was no indication of a terrorist motive, police said.

More than a dozen heavily-armed police officers, firefighters and rescue workers were stationed outside the building where the hostages were being held, located in a crowded neighborhood in the center of the French capital.

The area was evacuated and the street, rue des Petites Ecuries, was cordoned off.

Police would not immediately confirm whether the person holding the hostages was armed or describe the nature of his demands. They declined to confirm French media reports that the hostage-taker wanted to hand a letter to the Iranian ambassador, or reports that he was holding three people and that one had been injured.

Negotiations with the suspect were taking place, according to an Interior Ministry official who couldn't be identified because the operation was in progress.

Police initially said the hostage scene was unfolding in an office in the building, but soon stopped communicating details to journalists.