10 hostages held at gun point in Primark near Paris

The hostage situation has come to an end. At approximately 10:30 am local time, the hostages held within the Primark store were evacuated. Intial reports indicated that ten employees where held hostage but 19 hostages were found - 18 members of staff and one person who came to refill the snack machines. French elite police forces are currently in search of the three gunmen who are currently on the run.

Gunmen are said to be holding a Primark store with ten people inside near Paris hostage. Up to three armed men reportedly stormed a Primark store inside Villeneuve-la-Garenne this morning as staff were arriving for work at 6:30 am local time, according to AFP.

"Around 6:30 am, two or three armed criminals went into the Primark store for what we think was initially an attempt at armed robbery," said a police source to Sky News. Other sources claim that a Primark employee sent a text message to a friend at 7 am saying he was being "held hostage by two armed men."

The elite police unit have currently closed off roads going to the shopping center and surrounded the store. All other stores in the shopping center have been evacuated. It remains unclear if the gunmen are still inside the store or if they have fled the scene of the crime. The employees are said to have been locked in a safe room.