Paris - An armed man has temporarily entrenched himself with several employees in a restaurant near Paris. The man was arrested after several hours and the four workers were freed, as the French news agency AFP reported with reference to police circles.

The man is said to be the son of the restaurant owner and had a knife with him. The police were on site at the restaurant in Issy-les-Moulineaux with a special unit.

According to France Info, it was initially unclear whether or not the incident was a hostage situation.

Referring to informed sources, the broadcaster wrote that there was no demonstrable danger to the people in the restaurant. The employees were shocked and very slightly injured after being freed.

The police had written on X about an operation and called for the security forces to be allowed to work. They did not want to provide any further information when asked.

According to France Info, the man is known tothe police in connection with violence and drugs, as the broadcaster learned from police sources. According to the report, the man's mother had called the emergency services in the morning because the man was in cocaine withdrawal.