
© ReutersA major police operation is under way in the area
A major operation has taken place in central Hamburg after
a man with an axe threatened police officers, officials in the German city say.
Police say
they shot and seriously injured the man, who is receiving medical attention.
Media reports say the incident
took place near a fanzone for supporters of the Dutch football team.
The Netherlands are playing Poland in the city in the Euro 2024 tournament later on Sunday.
An initial police statement said that a man threatened police officers with a pickaxe
and an "incendiary device".
Later, a Hamburg police spokesperson told the BBC the suspect was armed with a pickaxe and had tried to ignite a petrol bomb - but that
officers responded with pepper spray and then shot him.
The incident is understood to have taken place at around 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT).
Video footage posted online, shows a man wielding an axe in front of police officers before a series of suspected gunshot sounds can be heard.
The man has not been identified by the police and the authorities
have not commented on what motivations they believe were behind the incident.
Rory Smith, the New York Times's chief soccer correspondent in Hamburg, said the incident took place on the Reeperbahn, a main street and nightlife area in the city just a few hundred yards from the Dutch fanzone.
BBC Sport journalist Gary Rose, who is also in Hamburg, said preparations were going ahead as planned for the match which kicks off at 15:00 local time.
The stadium is about five miles from the city centre where the incident happened.
There are approximately 30,000 Dutch fans in the city, and probably a similar number of Polish. There appears to be a good atmosphere ahead of the match, which is seemingly unaffected by the incident.
Comment: Euronews reports:
Police shoot man dead after Euro 2024 party attack
A man went on the rampage in Wolmirstedt, in eastern Saxony-Anhalt state, killing another man and stabbing people at a private football party. The assailant was later shot dead by the police.
A man attacked several people in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, including at a private party to mark the opening of the Euro 2024 soccer tournament, before he was shot and killed by the police.

© Thomas Schulz/dpa/picture allianceThe stabbings took place shortly after kickoff in the opening match between Germany and Scotland
German police said Saturday that the attacker had initially stabbed a young man in Wolmirstedt, a town of 12,000 people north of Magdeburg, who later died of his injuries.
German police said the attacker was a 27-year-old Afghan national and his first victim was also from Afghanistan.
The assailant then rushed through a nearby allotment, reportedly threatening people with a "knife-like object."
He entered the property where the party was taking place to watch the Germany vs. Scotland match and allegedly stabbed attendees at random. Three people were injured.
The attack happened a few minutes after kickoff in the Group A game, police said. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
"There are currently no indications of a religiously motivated act," the police said.
Injured said to be in a serious condition
Two of the injured, a 50-year-old and a 75-year-old man, are badly wounded, police said. A 56-year-old man was slightly hurt.
The assailant was later shot dead by police.
The police said the man approached officers as they arrived at the scene and "firearms were used." The perpetrator "died in hospital" from gunshot wounds, the police added.
Mostly peaceful opening night
The opening night of Euro 2024 passed off mostly peacefully across the country. There have been worries in the run-up to the tournament that a major attack could take place.
Germany beat Scotland 5-1 at the Allianz Arena in the southern German city of Munich.
Euro 2024 matches are being played in 10 stadiums, from Hamburg in the north of Germany to Munich in the south, until July 14.
The West's weaponised mass migration agenda has certainly led to an increase in seemingly random attacks involving migrants, however these kinds of crimes, and all others (particularly since the lockdowns), are up across the board.
Germany in particular has seen a wave of seemingly random, violent, incidents, and it may be that, at times, its police are responding with unusually excessive force. Which may be a reflection of their 'superiors' running the country who have regressed to authoritarianism and genocide.
Below is just a selection of reports reflecting this point:
See also:
Comment: Euronews reports: The West's weaponised mass migration agenda has certainly led to an increase in seemingly random attacks involving migrants, however these kinds of crimes, and all others (particularly since the lockdowns), are up across the board.
Germany in particular has seen a wave of seemingly random, violent, incidents, and it may be that, at times, its police are responding with unusually excessive force. Which may be a reflection of their 'superiors' running the country who have regressed to authoritarianism and genocide.
Below is just a selection of reports reflecting this point: