Between four and six people were being held by the assailants in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near the city of Rouen in Normandy.
A priest, two nuns from a local order and two churchgoers were among those held after the men rushed into the church during a morning service, soon after 9am.
Footage from the scene shows emergency crews, including elite police squads, arriving at the scene and one person being stretchered into an ambulance.
More deets when you continue…..
‘Two men armed with knives entered the church by the back entrance, and have taken five hostages,’ said a local police source.
The source said a third third nun had escaped and raised the alarm.
Shots were fired a few minutes later by BRI police and, according to local police sources, ‘both men have now been neutralised’.
UPDATE: They hostage takers have being shot dead by police