A hostage situation has flared up in the northern French town of Roubaix, close to the Belgian border.
"An operation is underway after hostages were taken. Gunshots were fired and the neighborhood has been cordoned off'', a police source told Reuters, Sputnik News reports.
It is stated that a ''bank director and his family may have been taken as hostages. Children are also reportedly among the hostages.
According to MSNBC, French prosecutors have confirmed the fact that incident is likely to be a robbery gone wrong, and has no connection with the Paris attacks of November 13.