Four armed men take hostage in Belgium apartment

Belgian police have sealed off part of the northern Belgian city of Ghent, as four armed men entered an apartment in the Dampoort neighbourhood Monday morning, taking a hostage.

Police have set up a security zone around the apartment.

"They're in the building but it's not clear what's going on inside. We have set up a security zone and asked residents to stay indoors for their own safety. For now, no one has been evacuated," Xinhua quoted police spokesman Manuel Mugica Gonzalez said.

Some 30 local and federal police officers are on the scene. Media reported that special units of the federal police as well as a police helicopter are also on the scene.

"There is information that there may be a hostage," said Filip Rasschaert, the chief of the Ghent police, as quoted by De Standaard as saying.

"The federal judicial police and federal task forces are now on site. They have the lead and now we are supporting them in the operation. They have everything needed to bring the hostage situation to a successful conclusion," said Rasschaert.