Police surround buildings after reports of shots fired near popular Berlin tourist spot Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin police say an operation is ongoing after gunshots were reportedly heard during an armed robbery of a cafe near the famous Checkpoint Charlie landmark in the German capital.

The incident took place at around 2pm local time, with shots apparently heard ringing out close to the famous Cold War era Berlin Wall crossing point, which is usually thronged with tourists.

Several people posted footage from the scene on social media and a police spokesperson said that the reported shots were likely related to an attempted robbery in a cafe.

Berlin Police surrounded buildings in the capital’s city center as part of the operation. "We currently believe the shot was fired in an attempted robbery on a shop in Friedrichstrasse. We have the situation under control,” it said on Twitter.

After interviewing witnesses, the police later said that the gunshots had not been confirmed and there was no further indications of a suspect. It added that it was continuing to investigate the incident.

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