Armed police arrive in the French city of Toulouse.

A man claiming to be an al Qaeda member took four people hostage in a bank here Wednesday morning.

Police say the man was trying to rob the bank when the burglary went awry.

The city has had several short-lived hostage situations in recent weeks.

It is also where 23-year-old Mohammed Merah was gunned down by police in March.

He was charged with a drive by shooting that killed a Rabbi and three children at a local Jewish school as well as three soldiers.

Jessica Gray, Reuters