HAMBURG — Police in the German city of Hamburg are dealing with a suspected hostage situation at the airport after an armed man drove through a security barrier and onto the tarmac.

There are at least two people in the car including a child, police said. Officers are in contact with the driver, who entered the airport on Saturday evening at about 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).

The suspect’s wife is reported to have alleged a possible child abduction.

In a statement, police said they believed that “a custody dispute is the background to this operation”.

They said the suspect shot his weapon twice in the air and threw burning bottles from the vehicle.

He drove his car to the airport’s apron, the area where aircraft are usually parked.

“We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation,” Hamburg police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Psychologists as well as officers specialized in negotiations are on site, police said, along with special forces.

All departures and arrivals at the airport in the northern German city have been halted.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Hamburg police confirmed the situation was ongoing. — BBC