Police forces have been deployed in Germany’s western town of Dueren following reports of a shooting incident.
A police spokeswoman, whose name was not mentioned in news reports, said on Tuesday that the forces were looking for a suspect who was hiding in a building and possibly had taken a hostage.
Roads leading to the shooting area were blocked after the incident was reported in a hair salon.
“Shots were reported. A male suspect is in a building complex in the city center and he may have taken a hostage. We have no contact with him and are not aware of whether he has any demands,” the spokeswoman said.
A high alert has been put in place across Germany since the country suffered a spate of attacks in the summer. Two of the attacks were carried out by foreigners who were linked to the Daesh Takfiri terrorists. The others were hate assaults involving far-right nationalist elements.
Security officials have warned about the possibility that the attacks could be linked to the issue of refugees.
Germany has let in nearly a million refugees. The influx of refugees into Europe began in 2015. The government in Berlin has faced mounting criticism over its liberal policy toward the refugees, with nationalists and far-right groups warning that they would increase targeting the asylum seekers if the government does not deal with the influx.