Monday, December 15, 2014

Another hostage crisis - armed men storm into apparent in Ghent and take hostage


#Ghent Coming in the wake of #sydneysiege in Australia, four gunmen are reported to have stormed into an apartment located on Pilorijnstraat in the Belgian city of Ghent today and taken at least one hostage as confirmed by the state prosecution service.
The police have cordoned off a wide perimeter around the scene in the Dampoort area of the city in the working-class neighborhood and have asked the local residents to remain indoors. The incident has sparked fears in the region that the siege could be related to terror activities.
This fear is because of the incident in Sydney where an Islamist fanatic took a number of hostages in a cafe today. However, as per initial reports, there is no evidence that it is linked to terrorism but could be related to some drug ring. Two persons have been taken in custody without violence. It has been clarified by a federal police spokeswoman Annemie Serlippens that there appears to be nothing political about the incident.
Incidentally, this is the second instance in six weeks’ time that #Ghent has seen a hostage situation – earlier, on October 23, a man was taken hostage on the top floor of an apartment building at Charles de Kerchovelaan – that involved an unpaid debt.

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