Two armed men have taken hostages at a church near Rouen in northern France, media reports have said.

Reuters quoted a police source as saying between four and six people were being held by the men at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

Reuters quoted a police source as saying between four and six people were being held by the men at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

A priest and two sisters, as well as churchgoers, were among those held, local media said.

France 3 television said a number of shots had been heard. Police and the emergency services are at the scene.

update

A priest has been killed in an attack by two armed men at his church near Rouen in northern France, police and French media have said.

The armed men entered the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during Mass, taking the priest, two nuns and several churchgoers hostage, reports said.

French TV said shots had been heard after police arrived at the scene. Both hostage-takers are now dead.

The area has been cordoned off and police have told people to stay away.

At least one person is receiving medical treatment for injuries.

A woman who works in a local beauty parlour, Eulalie Garcia, said she had known the 92-year-old priest since her childhood.

"My family has lived here for 35 years and we have always known him," she said.

"He was someone who was treasured by the community. He was very discreet and didn't like to draw attention to himself."



There was no immediate indication of the identity or motive of the hostage-takers, but France has been on high alert since the Bastille Day attack in Nice earlier this month, when a man ploughed a lorry into celebrating crowds, killing more than 80 people.

The Nice attack was carried out by Tunisian, who was not a known jihadist but so-called Islamic State said he had acted in response to its calls to target civilians in countries that have been attacking it.

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris says the French government has been under huge pressure to prevent further attacks.

President Francois Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve are on their way to Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray to be briefed by police.

The investigation into the incident will be led by anti-terrorism prosecutors, the interior ministry has said.


by BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785