French police are hunting for three armed men who stormed a Primark store in an suspected robbery attempt north of Paris.
The gunmen fled the scene after special forces evacuated 18 people trapped inside the Qwartz shopping centre in Villeneuve-la-Garenne.
None of those released 18 people was injured. The area around the shopping centre has been shut down.
According to a police source, a Primark employee sent a text message to a friend at 7am saying he was being held hostage by two armed men.
Special forces were sent to the scene.A short time later there were reports that 18 people had been freed from the Qwartz shopping centre but it was unclear how many hostages remained.
Police stopped all traffic in the area and all other shops nearby have also closed.Police believe it was an attempted armed robbery and not a terrorist attack.
There are reports that one of the men has been recognised as a Primark employee, but there has been no confirmation from police.
There was nothing to suggest the incident was a terrorist attack, they said.
It is unclear whether the 18 people evacuated by special forces were held hostage or they hid inside the mall to escape the gunmen.
Some sources have claimed the gunmen barricaded themselves in the shop and were armed with shotguns.
French newspaper Le Figaro has reported that an employee sent a text message to her boyfriend, saying two armed men had burst into the shop.
