Armed robbers hold 10 people in clothes store

Armed robbers are holding 10 people hostage in a clothes store in a shopping precinct just outside Paris on Monday, local media reported.

A police source confirmed 10 staff were unaccounted for but could not confirm the reports that they had been taken hostage. The incident took place in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, in the Hauts-de-Seine region to the northwest of the French capital. (Reporting by Mark John and Chine Labbe; Editing by James Regan)

several helmeted elite police officers entering a side door of the shopping center mid-morning. Police said the shopping center and surrounding area are closed to the public because of the security operation.

The discount clothing store is in a shopping center adjacent to the Seine River about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of central Paris.

There was no immediate sign of a political or other motive for the robbery.

The Paris region remains on high alert for terrorist activity after Islamic extremists attacked a kosher supermarket and satirical newspaper offices in January, leaving 20 people dead including the attackers