Armed man takes hostages in Paris

A police cordon has been established in Paris' 10th arrondissement

Several people have been taken hostage in Paris by an armed man. French police have cordoned off the area and confirmed there was a "police intervention" underway in Rue des Petites Ecuries in the 10th arrondissement of the French capital, CNN reports. Three people, including a pregnant woman, were taken hostage however one managed to escape. Pictures and video posted on Twitter show heavily armed police officers swarming over the area. Officers from Paris' bomb squad are on the scene. https://twitter.com/BreakingNAlerts/status/1006545372892676096 A police source said the attacker had doused the remaining two hostages in petrol. Authorities said that officers from a specialist unit were responding to an "unstable person" who was holding two people but that there was no indication the incident was terrorism-related. One witness, identified only as Max, told Le Parisien: "I was told it was a hostage crisis. The whole neighbourhood is closed. My car has disappeared. "I suspect the Prefecture of having removed it because it was right in front of the place." Police union official Yves Lefebvre told BFM TV: "Officials will be trying to start a negotiation with the man." The man has asked to be put in contact with the Iranian embassy.