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Sydney siege: Gunman demands meeting with Tony Abbott and claims four bombs in area Sydney siege: Timeline of events as they have unfolded at Lindt cafe
(about 2 hours later)
The gunman who is holding people hostage inside a café in Sydney is demanding a meeting with the Australian Prime Minister and has claimed to have four bombs, two inside the café and two in the financial district. An armed gunman has taken an unknown number of hostages at a Sydney cafe in a siege which has so far lasted more than 11 hours. Five people have fled from the cafe. Below is a timeline of the events as they unfolded.
The gunman has reportedly agreed to release one hostage if an Isis (also known as Islamic State) flag is delivered to the cafe immediately, according to TEN news in Australia. The drama started at 9.45am local time (10.45pm GMT).
The network claims to have been contacted by hostages in order for the gunman to make demands, and state the existence of the four bombs. 10.45pm - Emergency services called to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Early reports suggest a possible siege with an unknown number of hostages in the building.
At least five people, three men and two women, have already escaped the Lindt Chocolat Café in Martin Place in Sydney’s Central Business District, where an undisclosed number of people have been held for nearly nine hours. 11.09pm - The first images are released, appearing to show the hostages inside the cafe with their hands in the air in surrender.
New South Wales health authorities have confirmed one male hostage is being treated at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. 11.15pm - Two female hostages appear to hold a black Islamic flag containing Arabic writing against the cafe window.
Police have not confirmed whether the people escaped or were set free by the gunman. 11.24pm - People in nearby buildings are evacuated.
Chris Reason, a reporter at Channel 7, a broadcaster whose offices were evacuated as it faces the café, has said on Twitter that he has been let back inside the newsroom and reported seeing around 15 hostages, “a mix of women, men, young and old,” who are being forced to stand against windows for up to two hours at a time. 12.18am - Initial reports from the scene suggest around a dozen customers were inside the cafe in the moments before the siege took hold - with one man believed to be the hostage-taker.
He reports that food is apparently being delivered to the hostages, with “staff bringing it out from kitchen at the back”. 12.49am - Reports from the scene say a police tactical assault team has entered the building with gas masks and shotguns.
Armed officers have surrounded the café, where hostages were forced to hold what appeared to be a black Islamic flag up against the window. The flag is now being examined for any clues it could yield about the gunman. 12.59am - The first images of the suspected hostage-taker emerge - he is believed to be armed.
Addressing reporters, New South Wales Police deputy commissioner Catherine Burn said: “Our approach is to resolve this peacefully, it might take a while but that is our approach. 1.37am - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott holds a press conference saying he is not sure if the siege is politically motivated and urges Australians to go about their business as usual. He adds: “I can think of almost nothing more distressing or terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation, and our hearts go out to those people.”
“We will be working into the night if this situation continues,” she added, describing the situation as a “sensitive negotiation” and said police are “working through this methodically to make sure nobody is injured”. 2.33am - Updated reports suggest the number of hostages is actually far higher than first suspected - with up to 40 or 50 people now believed to be locked inside.
The police have urged “business as usual” for people in Sydney, though Sydney Opera House has reportedly cancelled performances for Monday night and the building was evacuated after reports of a suspicious device. 2.53am - American President Barack Obama is briefed about the siege as rumours surface that the incident may involve an improvised explosive device.
A number of media organisations have been contacted by the hostages inside the café, with TEN News Sydney being the latest broadcaster to say it has spoken to people inside the building. 3am - Police say they are still unsure of the gunman's motivation. They confirm there is one armed offender holding “an undisclosed number of hostages” but say detectives are yet to establish direct contact with the gunman.
Mr Abbott said: “This is a very disturbing incident. It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation. 4.37am - A breakthrough for police, as three hostages are released from the cafe.
“Nevertheless I can say that New South Wales police and other agencies have responded to this incident with great professionalism.” 5.07am - NSW deputy police commissioner Catherine Burn says there is nothing to indicate the hostages have been physically harmed. She says: “We now have numerous police working on who this person is and what those motivations might be.” She adds that the number of hostages is believed to be less than 30.
5.59am - Two further hostages - both female members of staff - are released, bringing the total to five.
7.11am - PM Mr Abbott makes another statement regarding the siege after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet's National Security Committee. He says: “It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation.”
8.12am - His UK counterpart, David Cameron, tweets: “I was briefed overnight on the siege in Sydney. It's deeply concerning and my thoughts are with all those caught up in it.”
8.45am - The hostage suspect is “known” to Australian police and media, according to reports, but police have asked for his identity not to be broadcast.
PA