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Two hostages and gunman dead as Sydney hostage crisis ends in bloodshed Two hostages and gunman dead as Sydney cafe siege ends
(about 2 hours later)
Two hostages and the gunman were confirmed dead after a 17-hour armed siege at a cafe in the heart of Sydney ended in violent confrontation early on Tuesday morning. Two hostages and a gunman are dead after a 17-hour armed siege in Sydney’s Martin Place ended with police storming the cafe.
Commandos entered the building shortly after a series of loud bangs were heard and groups of hostages ran out on to the street. Four people were also injured as the siege ended in a chaotic shootout in the early hours of Tuesday.
Police later confirmed a 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, who were among the hostages, were shot and pronounced dead at hospital. The 50-year-old man who took the hostages died at hospital after the confrontation with police. The New South Wales police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, confirmed a 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, who were among the hostages, were shot and pronounced dead at hospital. The 50-year-old man who took the hostages, named as Man Haron Monis, died in hospital after the confrontation, Scipione said.
Two women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Another woman had a gunshot wound to her shoulder and a male police officer suffered non-life threatening wounds to his face from gunshot pellets.Two women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Another woman had a gunshot wound to her shoulder and a male police officer suffered non-life threatening wounds to his face from gunshot pellets.
In dramatic scenes, army commandos carrying assault rifles and wearing body armour stormed the Lindt Cafe on Martin Place, a pedestrianised street in the middle of Sydney’s central business district. About 17 hours earlier, an armed man, named as Man Haron Monis, had taken an unknown number of hostages in the cafe. Monis was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital after being shot during the gunfight.
The #sydneysiege is over, NSW police have confirmed. They could not comment on injuries or fatalities but will have more info soon.The #sydneysiege is over, NSW police have confirmed. They could not comment on injuries or fatalities but will have more info soon.
Shortly after 2am local time a loud bang was heard coming from the building, followed by shouts from police, and several people ran from the scene. Shortly after 2am local time a loud bang was heard from the Lindt Cafe and a group of about six hostages fled the building. Moments later stun grenades and gunfire erupted as commandos carrying assault rifles and wearing body armour entered the building.
A sustained mix of what appeared to gunfire and flashbangs went on for 10 to 15 seconds as police stormed the cafe. At the sound of a second bang an officer in bomb disposal gear appeared and there was another short burst of gunfire. Further exchanges continued and police emerged carrying one injured woman. Paramedics and emergency services then brought out three injured people on stretcher trolleys, performing CPR on one as they rushed away.
Paramedics moved in and took away several injured people on stretchers. One injured female hostage was carried out by two police officers, and paramedics brought another three out on stretchers. Paramedics performed CPR on one. A bomb disposal robot then entered the building, but Scipione later said no evidence of explosives was found.
The NSW ambulance service said it was “treating and transporting a number of hostages”. Scipione told a media conference on Tuesday morning the siege was “an isolated incident” and the “act of an individual”. The police response had been extremely cautious throughout the day. Scipione said they had believed no one was injured up to that point.
The chaotic scenes began as between five and seven hostages were seen running from the cafe, the second group of captives to escape since the siege began at about 9.45am on Monday local time. Later, other groups of what appeared to be hostages could be seen running out. “That changed, [so] we changed our tack,” he said.
A gunman carrying a blue sports bag had reportedly entered the cafe on Monday morning and a hostage situation quickly developed, with heavily armed police surrounding the cafe and closing off the streets of the central area of Australia’s biggest city. He would not comment or speculate on decisions made during the siege or its denouement.
Early images showed some hostages apparently forced to hold a black and white flag against the window bearing the Islamic creed. Other terrified hostages inside the cafe could be seen with their hands pressed against the glass. The NSW premier, Mike Baird, said he came to the media conference with “the heaviest of hearts”.
A black flag in the window of the cafe appeared to bear the Shahada, an Islamic affirmation of the oneness of God, reading: “There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.” “We have lost some of our own,” he said.
“Sydney has been shamed by a tragedy none of us could imagine,” he said, but added that “we will get through this”.
Both Baird and Scipione praised the police’s action and said they saved many lives.
The prime minister, Tony Abbott said the government’s “thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two deceased hostages, the wounded and the other hostages”.
“I commend the courage and professionalism of the New South Wales Police and other emergency services involved,” he said in a statement.
The Australian cabinet’s national security committee was due to convene on Tuesday morning.
Monis walked into the Lindt cafe on Monday morning shortly before 10am, reportedly carrying a blue sports bag, and took 17 people hostage. Heavily armed police surrounded the cafe and closed off the streets of the central area.
Hostages were made to hold a flag up at the cafe’s window which appeared to bear the shahada, an Islamic affirmation of the oneness of God, reading: “There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
The creed is common in the Islamic world and appears on the Saudi Arabian flag, but has been embraced by Islamist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Hizb ut-Tahrir.The creed is common in the Islamic world and appears on the Saudi Arabian flag, but has been embraced by Islamist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Hizb ut-Tahrir.
The man reported to be behind the siege, Man Haron Monis, who was on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault. A fringe figure in Australia’s Muslim community, Monis had been spurned by Shia leaders, who had reportedly urged federal police to investigate the man over his claims to be an ayatollah, or Shia cleric. Monis was known to the police, having pleaded guilty in 2013 to offences relating to abusive letters he sent to the families of deceased Australian soldiers. He was on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault. He was also implicated in the murder of his former wife.
A fringe figure in Australia’s Muslim community, Monis had been spurned by Shia leaders, who had reportedly urged federal police to investigate the man over his claims to be an ayatollah, or Shia cleric.
The Iranian-born 49-year-old, who apparently converted from Shia Islam to Sunni only last week, was infamously involved in sending “grossly offensive” letters to parents and relatives of Australian victims of terrorism and troops killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He unsuccessfully challenged the conviction in the high court last year.The Iranian-born 49-year-old, who apparently converted from Shia Islam to Sunni only last week, was infamously involved in sending “grossly offensive” letters to parents and relatives of Australian victims of terrorism and troops killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He unsuccessfully challenged the conviction in the high court last year.
He has also been accused of being an accessory in the killing of his former wife, a charge for which he remains on bail. He has also been accused of being an accessory in the killing of his former wife, a charge for which he was on bail.
He told ABC News in 2001 that he fled Australia five years earlier after falling foul of the Iranian regime, which he said had placed his wife and children under house arrest. “I can say they are hostage,” he said at the time.He told ABC News in 2001 that he fled Australia five years earlier after falling foul of the Iranian regime, which he said had placed his wife and children under house arrest. “I can say they are hostage,” he said at the time.
His former lawyer, Manny Conditsis, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “This is a one-off random individual. It’s not a concerted terrorism event or act. It’s a damaged goods individual who’s done something outrageous.” His former lawyer Manny Conditsis told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “This is a one-off random individual. It’s not a concerted terrorism event or act. It’s a damaged goods individual who’s done something outrageous.”
The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, made a short statement during the siege, urging Australians to be resolute. “We don’t yet know the motivation of the perpetrator, we don’t know whether this is politically motivated although obviously there are some indications that it could be,” Abbott said.
“We have to appreciate that even in a society such as ours, there are people who would wish to do us harm, that’s why we have police and security organisations of the utmost professionalism that are ready and able to respond to a whole range of situations and contingencies including this situation that we are now seeing in Sydney.”
Australia’s grand mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said he was devastated by the news of the standoff.
“The grand mufti and the Australian National Imam Council condemn this criminal act unequivocally and reiterate that such actions are denounced in part and in whole in Islam,” he said.
“We, along with the wide Australian society, await the results of the investigation about the identity of the perpetrators and their underlying motivations behind this criminal act.”