POLICE in Munich shot and killed a man in an area near a museum on the city’s Nazi-era history and the Israeli Consulate today.

According to a police spokesperson, officers were alerted to a person carrying a “long gun” in the Karolinenplatz area, near the centre of Munich, at around 9am. 

During an exchange of shots the suspect sustained fatal injuries.

There no was no indication that anyone else was hurt, spokesperson Andreas Franken told reporters.

There was no immediate information on the suspect’s identity or on any motive, Ms Franken said. The man died at the scene.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred and that no consulate staff had been hurt. The nearby museum also said all of its employees were unharmed.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference in Berlin, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the shooting as “a serious incident,” but said she didn't want to speculate on what had happened.

She reiterated that “the protection of Jewish and Israeli facilities has the highest priority.”