(VOVworld)- French police are hunting for three armed men who stormed a Primark store in an suspected robbery attempt north of Paris.

The incident began early on Monday morning- Photo: BBC

The gunmen fled the scene after special forces evacuated 18 people trapped inside the Qwartz shopping centre in Villeneuve-la-Garenne. None of the released people were injured. The area around the shopping centre has been shut down. The incident began early on Monday and lasted several hours. A group of assailants broke into the Primark discount clothing store in the town of Villeneuve-la-Garenne early on Monday and several employees were trapped inside, police said. Police surrounded the shopping center and cordoned off the neighborhood, adjacent to the Seine River about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of central Paris.