Belgian police: 4 armed men enter house in Ghent

WATCH ABOVE: Ghent police have blocked off the area surrounding the apartment.

GHENT, Belgium – Four armed men have entered an apartment in the western Belgian city of Ghent, and police have blocked off a wide perimeter around the area.

Police said Monday that a few hours after the men entered the apartment it was still unclear whether they had taken any hostages.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

At first sight, it didn’t appear to be an act of terror, said federal police spokeswoman Annemie Serlippens. “There appears to be nothing political. And it does not seem to be going that way.”

By midmorning a big police operation had been set up in the working-class neighbourhood to keep bystanders away from the scene.

Media reported there already had been a hostage incident in Ghent linked to extortion two months ago.