Police have arrested a man accused of holding 15 people hostage in a Brussels supermarket.
Camera IconPolice have arrested a man accused of holding 15 people hostage in a Brussels supermarket. Credit: Supplied, Twitter/@InfosFrancaises

Knifeman holds 15 people hostage in Brussels supermarket

Reuters, AP and staff writersNews Corp Australia

A MAN who briefly held a group of people hostage in a supermarket in a Brussels suburb has surrendered to police.

Nobody was injured and authorities say there was no indication of any terrorist motive.

The incident happened in the Brussels suburb of Forest.

Brussels justice spokeswoman Ine Van Wymersch said Tuesday night, “We have no indications that this would be a terror action.”

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Claude Inno, who was briefly taken hostage, called the man “a crazy person” who held several people before he started negotiating on the phone.

Police could not immediately say what weapon the man was carrying.

Belgian public broadcaster RTBF said the man was armed with a knife on Tuesday.

Another state broadcaster, VRT, said the incident might have been related to a failed robbery attempt.

It was not immediately clear if the man had surrendered or been overpowered. There was no suggestion from police that the hostage-taker had Islamist links.

Brussels has been on high alert since 32 people were killed March 22 in suicide bombing attacks on the city’s airport and subway.