- Several people were taken hostage in a café in the Dutch town of Ede, not far from Arnhem.
- At midday, several people left the affected café, presumably including the hostage taker.
- A city spokesman confirmed the end of the hostage-taking to public broadcaster NOS.
As NOS reported, a person wearing a balaclava left the cafe at 12:30 p.m. The person came out with his hands raised and was taken away in handcuffs by the police.
Several people had previously been able to leave the café. According to the broadcaster, there were, among others, three young people who were wearing the café’s uniform. Videos showed how the hostages were taken away accompanied by police officers. They were “visibly excited,” the station reported.
How many hostages there were in total is not known. The background to the hostage-taking is also unclear. At an earlier point in time, a police spokesman said NOS that the emergency services were assuming a hostage taker.
A large police force cordoned off the area in the center of the city. Videos in the Dutch media showed police officers in uniform and armed taking up positions in the center. The fire brigade and rescue workers were also on site. The affected area was largely cordoned off.
According to police, around 150 apartments were evacuated due to the threat. At the same time, the police called for people to avoid the center of the city. Train services in the affected area were suspended.
No terrorist motive
According to the police, there were no signs of a terrorist motive when the hostages were taken. This was announced by the police in the province of Gelderland on X. When asked by broadcaster NOS, a police spokesman did not want to give further details because this could be “to the detriment of the hostages”.