A hostage situation that broke out in the northern French town of Roubaix has ended, with the hostages being taken to a "secure location," local officials say.

Up to three armed men took hostages after breaking into the house of a couple that they intended to rob, reports said, according to AFP.

The armed men opened fire on police during the standoff, prompting them to return fire, resulting in the death of one of the suspects. Another suspect threw his pistol away outside the house and was detained by police, while another one escaped.

Due to the nature of the incident, officials determined that this was just a robbery and was unrelated to the security situation in France following the Nov.13 terror attacks, BBC News reported.

"This is apparently not a terrorist attack, but a robbery," one police source said.

However, situations like this have taken on a greater significance than usual due to France remaining on high alert, France24 noted. Police special forces were notified, and the entire area was cordoned off until the situation was resolved.