#Belgium Siege: Hostage Held By Armed Men Two men have surrendered after entering an apartment in the Belgian city of Ghent and taking at least one person hostage, media reports have said. Police were called after four armed men were reportedly seen entering a building in the Dampoort district of the city on Monday morning. Skys Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet, who is on the scene, said two men walked out with their hands in the air and two others also left separately. Police have created a wide cordon around the area and said they did not know what the mens intention was. Nisbet said that is believed the hostage situation is ongoing. At first sight, it did not appear to be an act of terror, said federal police spokeswoman Annemie Serlippens. There appears to be nothing political. And it does not seem to be going that way. Television footage showed police blocking traffic at a cordoned off intersection while a helicopter hovered overhead and sirens blared in the background. Local media reported that there was another hostage incident in Ghent, linked to extortion, two months ago. The siege also comes as a gunman holds a number of people hostage at a cafe in Sydney, Australia.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 12:49:24 +0000