An operation in the La Défense business area in western Paris has ended, after reports about a possible armed man in the area proved to be unfounded.
"At this stage, no suspicious individual has been identified by the police on the spot, corroborating the report made to Police Secours 17", the Prefecture of Police announced on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, the police department announced on Twitter that it had launched an operation in the area, as Paris' 'Les Quatre Temps' shopping centre was evacuated.
Other details about the operation were not immediately released.
According to official Twitter account of the Paris Police Prefecture, the public has been advised to avoid the area and follow the instructions of authorities, as checks were underway.
According to a report by the French radio network RTL, the operation followed a call about an unidentified man in the area carrying “an automatic” weapon. The police called upon the public not to rely on “false information”.
Tweet: ALERT - The 4-stroke shopping center (La Défense) being evacuated, an armed man is near the centre.
Tweet: We do not know anything. The Prefecture of Police proceeds to a "removal of doubt" following a "single call" signalling the presence of an armed man. Nothing more, nothing less. Confinement in the offices and evacuation of the shopping centre.
The transport authorities have also reportedly closed the nearby train station. According to some reports and eyewitnesses, the people in the area were asked to put their hands up.