MONTPELLIER: A gunman robbed a jewellery store in the southern French city of Montpellier on Friday, taking two hostages, a judicial source said, adding the incident “had no link” to the twin hostage dramas around Paris.

"It was a robbery, it has nothing to do with what is happening in Paris," prosecutor Christophe Barret told AFP.

AP reported another officer, who could not be named speaking about an ongoing situation, as saying the attacker has locked himself inside the downtown shop, with police ready to intervene outside.