EDE, Netherlands (AP) — Heavily armed police cordoned off part of a Dutch town on Saturday, stating that multiple people were being held hostage in a building there.
A police spokesman confirmed that individuals were being held hostage in the town of Ede but refrained from providing further details regarding the incident or the number of people involved.
Authorities communicated via X, previously known as Twitter, that there was currently no indication of a terrorist motive in the situation.
Prior to this, law enforcement evacuated 150 residences near a central square, citing the presence of an individual in the area who posed a potential danger to themselves or others.
Visuals from the scene in Ede, a rural market town located 85 kilometers (53 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, depicted a significant police and firefighter presence in the cordoned-off area.
The municipality announced that all shops in the center of Ede would remain closed as the situation unfolded.