State police swamped Altmarkt-Galerie shopping mall earlier today (Picture: EPA)

German police have ended an hours-long hostage situation after an armed man killed his mother and stormed a Dresden shopping mall today.

Saxony State Police this morning shut down Altmarkt-Galerie, one of the most popular shopping malls in Dresden, and the Striezelmarkt Christmas market.

In a Twitter statement posted 11:30am, police said negotiators were in contact with the hostage-taker.

Members of the force’s tactical unit, the Spezialeinsatzkommando, or Special Task Force, had also been sent to the scene.

Less than 15 minutes later, the force said: ‘All clear! The hostage situation in Dresden is over!

‘Two people are in our care, apparently unarmed.’

Police evacuated the shopping mall (Picture: Reuters)

Two people have been taken into police care, the force said (Picture: Reuters)

It was not immediately clear whether the suspect has been arrested.

Saying there is no longer a ‘dangerous situation’, state police said the closure of the city centre has been lifted, though Altmarkt-Galerie remains shuttered.

Police separately confirmed that the body of a 62-year-old woman was found in an apartment in the Prohlis neighbourhood who was the mother of the suspect. 40. 

Radio Dresden reported that a gunman had at around 8:30am local time tried to enter the Ammonhof office building, where the radio station is located.

He reportedly fired his weapon before heading to the Altmarkt-Galerie.

In a Twitter statement, Radio Dresden said its offices were not ‘stormed’ and that the perpetrator ‘killed his mother in Prohlis and probably wanted to be in the media.

In a separate statement, police said the body of a woman, thought to be the suspect’s mother, was found earlier today (Picture: Reuters)

The suspect also attempted to break into a local radio station’s office (Picture: Reuters)

‘He has now holed up in the Altmarkt-Galerie with a hostage’.

In an earlier statement, the station said a police spokesperson said: ‘The man is mentally ill.

‘Appropriate experts were therefore consulted. The man should be persuaded to give up voluntarily and end the situation.’

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Police have since ended the hostage-taking.