Police say 3 hostages have been released but the situation in a Dutch town is not over
By ALEKSANDAR FURTULA
Associated Press
EDE, Netherlands (AP) — Three people who were held hostage for hours in a nightclub in the central Dutch town of Ede were released Saturday, police said, but they added that the “situation is not over.”
Gelderland Police announced the hostage release in a message on X, formerly Twitter. They gave no further details about whether more hostages remained in the club. Heavily armed police and special arrest teams, some wearing masks, were massed outside the popular club.
Video from the scene showed three young people walking out of the club with their hands in the air following their release.
Police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that “at the moment there is no indication of a terrorist motive.”
Ede Mayor René Verhulst said in a statement that a hostage situation continued in the town despite the release.
“A terrible situation for all these people,” Verhulst said. “My concern and thoughts go out to them and their loved ones. I hope that the situation is now resolved quickly and safely.”
Earlier Saturday, officers cordoned off a square in central Ede and evacuated about 150 nearby homes.
The hostages were being held in Cafe Petticoat, a popular bar and nightclub in Ede, according to an AP videographer at the scene.
Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 85 kilometers (53 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets.
The municipality said that all shops in the center of Ede would remain closed while the situation continued. Trains to and from the town’s station also were halted.
