A number of gunmen broke into a discount clothing store near Paris on Monday and took hostage of 18 people inside the store for hours before fleeing. All the 18 hostages were safely evacuated from the Primark store in the town of Villeneuve-la-Garenne, according to a regional police official. Police surrounded the sprawling shopping center and cordoned off the neighborhood, adjacent to the Seine River about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of central Paris.

The assailants entered the store at around 6:30am (0430 GMT; 12:30am EDT) Monday morning, in what police believe was an attempted robbery, police official said. Several people who were inside are primarily employees.

Police source said an employee first alerted her boyfriend of the hold-up around 7am when she sent him a text message saying they had been taken hostage by two armed men.

Officers from a special police unit entered the store and after some time few of the officers emerged accompanying women reported to be store employees, according to images broadcast on BFM television.

Paris still remains on high alert after Islamic extremists attacked a kosher supermarket and satirical newspaper offices in January, leaving 20 people dead including the attackers. Is it an intelligence failure even after a series of terror attacks are witnessed by Paris. Whether the authorities ensure the safety and security of the citizens. Till the next attack happens the authorities will be putting statements.

By Premji