Police in the central Netherlands have confirmed the release of three hostages from a cafe in Ede, but caution that the situation remains unresolved.

Authorities initiated an evacuation of the town center of Ede early Saturday morning after reports emerged of individuals being held at Cafe Petticoat.

“Three hostages have just been released. The situation is not over yet,” police stated in a communication on social media platform X.

Images broadcasted by public broadcaster NOS depicted three young individuals exiting the building with their hands raised.

While police have indicated no suspicion of a “terrorist motive,” the exact number of individuals initially held remains unknown. Local media reports suggest around four or five people may be involved.

A perimeter around the cafe has been cleared by authorities, with approximately 150 residents from nearby houses relocated to safety.

The local municipality, through its website, informed residents that the town center had been cordoned off. Riot police and explosives experts are currently present at the scene.

Residents have been urged to steer clear of the town center, with train traffic redirected as authorities respond to the ongoing situation.

While questions regarding the motive persist, law enforcement has clarified that there is currently no evidence pointing to a terrorist agenda.

Although the Netherlands has experienced incidents of terrorism and thwarted plots, they have not reached the scale seen in other European nations like France or Britain.

In 2019, the nation was rattled by a shooting incident on a tram in Utrecht, resulting in the loss of four lives.

In 2019, Gokmen Tanis, a Turkish-born individual, confessed to a terror-driven motive for a rampage that paralyzed the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.

Additionally, Dutch authorities in 2019 pressed charges against two suspected jihadists for plotting a terror strike involving suicide bombs and car bombs, highlighting the ongoing security concerns.

In 2018, a young Afghan man known as “Jawed S.” stabbed two American tourists at Amsterdam Central Station. During his trial, he expressed his intent to “protect the Prophet Mohammed,” coinciding with the aftermath of a decision by far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders to cancel a cartoon competition satirizing the Prophet Mohammed.

Following Wilders’ announcement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid urged Muslims to target Dutch troops, condemning the Netherlands for its perceived hostility towards Muslims.

Among the Netherlands’ significant terror-related incidents was the 2004 assassination of Theo van Gogh, a prominent anti-Islam filmmaker, who was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam by an individual linked to a Dutch Islamist terror network.