Four people were injured after a clash broke out between two groups at a gurdwara in Germany's Moers city on Sunday, prompting a large-scale police response, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 2:20 pm local time during prayer time at the Sikh community centre when an altercation erupted between people present at the site, Wesel district police said in a press release.
"Four people sustained minor injuries, including one who suffered a cut," police said, adding that arrests had been made.
"Because witnesses reported hearing gunshots, special forces were called in. A police helicopter was also deployed for a time,” the release said.
Police have not confirmed the exact cause of the clash or the nature of the reported gunshots. Investigators are examining whether weapons, including knives, pepper spray or a firearm, were used during the violence.
German media reports said around 40 people may have been involved in the confrontation. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a mass brawl inside the premises.
According to public broadcaster Tagesschau and other local reports, the confrontation is believed to have stemmed from an internal dispute within sections of the Sikh community, including disagreements linked to the management of the gurdwara.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as police vehicles, ambulances and officers, including dog units, rushed to the scene.
“Several people ran out of the building, some of them barefoot,” a resident was quoted as saying by local media.
The criminal police and the public prosecutor's office have launched an investigation into the incident.