Three hostages released from ongoing incident in Netherlands cafe

Several people have been taken hostage in a Dutch town as heavily armed police cordoned off the area.

Local media have reported a man entered a nightclub, in Ede, early in the morning and threatened to blow himself up.

Police say three hostages have been released but the situation remains ongoing.

Earlier, police spokesman Simen Klok said people were being held hostage in Ede but declined to give more details of the incident or say how many people were involved.

Police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that “at the moment there is no indication of a terrorist motive.”

The hostages were being held in Cafe Petticoat, a popular bar and nightclub, according to a witness at the scene.

Officers evacuated 150 homes near a central square, saying that there was a person in the area “who could be a danger to themself or others.”

A reporter for broadcaster NOS said a remote controlled robot was at the scene as well as anti-explosives units and police in protective gear.

Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 53 miles southeast of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets in a cordoned-off area.

The municipality said that all shops in the center of Ede would remain closed.

(This story is being updated)