Paris: Six supermarket employees taken hostage in an armed robbery on supermarket north of Paris were released unharmed on Wednesday and three suspects detained, police said.
Dozens of police deployed around the LIDL discount store in an industrial zone in Sevran north of Paris after it was attacked at around 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and six of its staff taken hostage.
Three women were released mid-morning as police teams negotiated with one of the hostage-takers, who was armed according to police.
The suspect surrendered a few hours later as the last hostages were leaving the building, the police prefecture in Sevran said.
Armed police teams sent in to search the store found two accomplices hiding inside, the prefecture added. All three suspects were taken into custody.
The Paris management of the LIDL store confirmed all six of its employees were unharmed.
Police had initially spoken of a gang of men, but later said they were dealing with a single armed man.
According to French television I-Tele, the attackers were armed with an automatic rifle.
A photographer earlier saw two people emerging from the LIDL store, with their hands in the air before being searched and handcuffed by police.
But the pair turned out to have been hostages, not suspects.
Bureau Report
