Police in western Belgium stormed an apartment on Monday after reports that gunmen had taken a hostage in the city of Ghent, Reuters reported. No one was hurt in the operation, and three men have been arrested.

Armed officers surrounded the apartment building, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Reports indicated four gunmen had taken a hostage within hours of an incident in Sydney, during which an armed man walked into a cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag.

Police had closed off surrounding streets and set up a security perimeter, according to Fox News. They let several hours pass before moving toward the building. Once police had stormed the apartment, it was "not entirely clear whether someone was in fact taken hostage," according to a spokeswoman for state prosecutors.

Nevertheless, three suspects were "taken outside, with their hands in the air" by special armed police, Flemish-speaking VRT television reported. The fourth man, meanwhile, was unclear, while the purported victim was safe.

"[The men] have been taken away, though there were no weapons found," the spokeswoman said. "The earlier reports were of four men with kalashnikovs."

The spokewoman added that there was no indication of a link to terrorism.

Authorities said they suspected it was an isolated incident.

Local media reported there had been a previous hostage incident in Ghent two months ago that was linked to extortion, according to Fox News. This led to speculation that Monday's events may have a private or criminal background.

"There appears to be nothing political," said Annemie Serlippens, a spokeswoman for the Belgian federal police. "This isn't the same sort of incident as the events in Sydney."

Ghent, a city of nearly 250,000 in the country's East Flanders province, is home to Belgium's third largest port. The building where Monday's incident occurred is located in a working-class neighborhood, and neighbors said the occupants of the apartment were "drug traffickers."

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