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| Sydney Lindt Cafe siege: Hostages display Islamic flag as up to 13 people are held by armed man | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Up to 13 people were being held hostage by at least one armed man in a chocolate shop and café in Sydney. | |
| Staff and customers were forced to hold what appeared to be a black Islamic flag against the window of the Lindt Chocolat Café in Martin Place in Sydney's Central Business District. | |
| It was not known exactly how many people are inside the cafe, although it was reported that a Lindt executive had said there were 10 staff members in the venue. | |
| The flag is believed to be the Shahada, which carries a message that is translates as: "There is no deity of worship except God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God." | |
| Armed police officers were seen outside the café with their guns drawn, and a man with a backpack inside the cafe could be seen walking back and forth in front of the glass doors. The building it is in contains a number of state government bodies. | |
| Police closed roads in the area and also stopped some trains from running after the alert was raised at about 9.45am on Monday local time. The newsroom at broadcaster Channel7, which is about 30 metres away, was evacuated. | Police closed roads in the area and also stopped some trains from running after the alert was raised at about 9.45am on Monday local time. The newsroom at broadcaster Channel7, which is about 30 metres away, was evacuated. |
| Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it was unclear if the siege was politically motivated. | |
| "We don't yet know if this is politically motivated, although there are some indications that it might be," Abbott told reporters in Canberra. | |
| "This is a very disturbing incident. I can understand the concerns and anxieties of the Australia people," Abbott said, without providing any information on the unfolding siege. | |
| Police closed roads in the area and also stopped some trains from running after the alert was raised at about 9.45am on Monday local time. | Police closed roads in the area and also stopped some trains from running after the alert was raised at about 9.45am on Monday local time. |
| Mr Abbott's office earlier released a statement: "New South Wales Police and the Australian Federal Police are currently responding to a reported hostage-taking incident in Martin Place in Sydney. | |
| "I have spoken with NSW Premier Mike Baird and offered him all possible Commonwealth support and assistance. | "I have spoken with NSW Premier Mike Baird and offered him all possible Commonwealth support and assistance. |
| "The National Security Committee of Cabinet has also convened for briefings on the situation." | "The National Security Committee of Cabinet has also convened for briefings on the situation." |
| “This is chilling,” said Kylie Gillies, host of Channel7’s The Morning Show as she watched events from the studio. | “This is chilling,” said Kylie Gillies, host of Channel7’s The Morning Show as she watched events from the studio. |
| Her colleague Shelly Horton, a journalist with the station, tweeted: “Terrifying siege in Martin Place. Those poor hostages. My @themorningshowon7 @sunriseon7 friends have been evacuated.” | Her colleague Shelly Horton, a journalist with the station, tweeted: “Terrifying siege in Martin Place. Those poor hostages. My @themorningshowon7 @sunriseon7 friends have been evacuated.” |
| There were varying estimates of the number of people inside the story from as few as four to 20. | There were varying estimates of the number of people inside the story from as few as four to 20. |
| Earlier on Monday, police arrested a 25-year-old man in the city as part of operations to disrupt the flow of money and fighters to conflict zones such as those in Iraq and Syria. | Earlier on Monday, police arrested a 25-year-old man in the city as part of operations to disrupt the flow of money and fighters to conflict zones such as those in Iraq and Syria. |
| There was no indication by authorities that the two incidents were in any way linked. | There was no indication by authorities that the two incidents were in any way linked. |
| Police close a street where a cafe is being used to hold hostages in the central business district of Sydney | Police close a street where a cafe is being used to hold hostages in the central business district of Sydney |
| Australia is on high alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, having raised its threat level to high and undertaken a series of high-profile raids in major cities. | Australia is on high alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, having raised its threat level to high and undertaken a series of high-profile raids in major cities. |
| Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that at least 70 Australians were fighting in Iraq and Syria backed by about 100 Australia-based "facilitators". | Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that at least 70 Australians were fighting in Iraq and Syria backed by about 100 Australia-based "facilitators". |
| Reuters contributed to this report | Reuters contributed to this report |