'Shots heard' inside Estonia Defence Ministry

There has been a shooting inside the Estonian Defence Ministry in central Tallinn today, according to officials.

A spokesman said there had been an “incident involving guns” inside the ministry and that police were on the scene.

The building was evacuated and police cordoned off the surrounding area.

The Postimees, a leading daily paper in Estonia, reported on its website that the shooter may have taken a hostage inside the ministry.

A reporter for the Delfi news website said from the scene that there had been shots approximately 20 minutes apart and that two people jumped through a window and ran away after the second shot.

The minister, Mart Laar, was not in the building when the shooting started.