At least two suspects were on the run in Germany after two or more people were shot and stabbed, police say.

The victims were attacked near the railway station in Plochingen, a town near Stuttgart in the south of the country, according to the Bild newspaper online.

Police and special forces launched a large-scale operation, with helicopters to help hunt for the suspects.

At least five people were wounded, according to FranceNews24, but police said two people were injured, and a search was under way for more victims.

According to a local news website, a shot was fired and a knife was used in an argument.

Nearby streets were cordoned off during the hunt for the suspects, and police advised people to avoid the area.

Half an hour after saying they were hunting for three suspects, detectives announced they had arrested one person, but it was not clear whether they were one of the three.