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Gunman-takes-hostages-cafe-Sydney
- Thread starter wendychan
- Start date
Re: LATEST: Sydney cafe siege. Hostages held by ISIS terrorist!
Did the terrorist shit buckets before he kena stormed?
Did the terrorist shit buckets before he kena stormed?
Re: LATEST: Sydney cafe siege. Hostages held by ISIS terrorist!
woman wheeled out of café.
woman wheeled out of café.
hostages coming out with hands in air.
The CNN report cites an Australian BC report, which is odd, because I've been following the ABC reports, and they have reported no such thing.
c'mon guys. went to bed last night and woke up this morning after 7 hours expecting to see latest developments here. i suppose we don't have sbf members in sydney for minute updates. my on-the-ground source is still the fastest and closest. with pics too. and text coming in at 15-minute intervals. :p
gunman likely dead. one woman sobbing hard.
injured sobbing woman being carried to the ambulance.
blood-soaked stretcher being wheeled to ambulance.
Saw the video. The police was spraying like crazy after the grenade. Just curious whether were they spraying live rounds like what was thought in FIBUA? The commentator mentioned stun guns. Is there such gun that has auto mode.
Just have this feeling that the terrorist gun has no round but we will never know because nobody will be telling.
Just have this feeling that the terrorist gun has no round but we will never know because nobody will be telling.
Re: Sydney Hostages KPKB, no death no excecution yet so far KNN!
I have yet to come across anyone in this forum who can do a single long copy n paste posting, neatly formatted and easy to the eye.
BREAKING NEWS: Sydney siege ends with Muslim gunman dead and one hostage killed after police and special forces storm cafe with guns and stun grenades
Published: 23:06 GMT, 14 December 2014 | Updated: 17:12 GMT, 15 December 2014
An Iranian-born gunman and one of his hostages were reportedly shot dead in a dramatic and chaotic firefight that ended the Sydney cafe siege after a tense 17-hour stand-off.
A swarm of heavily armed police stormed the Lindt Chocolat cafe in a hail of gunfire and stun grenades in the early hours of the morning. There were that at least three others were injured, but this could not immediately be confirmed.
Live television coverage showed at least two people being taken away from the scene on stretchers. One hostage was seen being carried out of the building. She appeared to be in pain, and blood flowed down her legs. Nine News reported that eleven hostages had been accounted for after the police raid, which occurred shortly after 2am.
An injured hostage is carried away on a stretcher by paramedics after police stormed the Lindt Chocolat cafe in central Sydney where around 20 people were being held by a gunman during a 17-hour siege. One hostage and the gunman were reportedly killed in the firefight
A dead hostage is carried out of the cafe after they were reportedly shot by the hostage-taker, prompting police to storm the building
A female hostage is carried out and away from the cafe - clearly in distress with blood pouring down the legs
Two female hostages look exhausted and in disbelief
Siege over: Police raided the cafe in central Sydney early Tuesday, bringing a dramatic end to a 17-hour siefe. The raid came moments after some hostages fled the Lindt cafe after more than 16
Heavily armed police opened fire with automatic weapons and hurled what appeared to be stun grenades as they stormed into the cafe
A police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the siege was over, but that no more details would be immediately released.
A scene of pandemonium erupted in the early morning just minutes after hostages started emerging from the cafe. Initially one man emerged with his hands up and lay down on the ground in front of police. Seconds later, a group of of five hostages appeared suddenly after apparently escaping the cafe.
This appeared to be the trigger for tactical police to move in. Within seconds, they had blasted open the cafe door and opened fire with automatic weapons, also hurling what appeared to be stun grenades. The sounds of explosions echoed through the city, and the flashes of rifle fire and the grenades lit up the area.
The gunfight lasted less than two minutes, and more hostages appeared to emerge after the police raid. As the scene calmed down, a bomb disposal robot was seen entering the cafe. The dramatic end to the siege came as the gunman holding the remaining captives was revealed as a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric Man Haron Monis.
Monis is a 49-year-old man living in southwest Sydney, but is originally from Iran and a self-proclaimed sheik, and also sent hate mail to the families of Australian dead soldiers between 2007 and 2009, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The seige in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday follows an unsuccessful attempt to have these charges overturned in the High Court on Friday, The Age reported.
Monis received 300 community service hours and a two-year good behaviour bond for the correspondence, which he claims were his version of sympathy cards, sent with the help from his girlfriend Amirah Droudis.
Arriving as a refugee in Australia in 1996, the hostage-taker was charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her western Sydney apartment block in November 2013.
The man's current partner was charged with murder but they both received bail as the case was deemed too weak.
Six hostages came out all at once at 2am after almost nine hours of
A woman appeared distressed and injured as she is carried by emergency workers
Man Haron Monis - also known as Sheik Haron - has been named as the gunman holding up to 15 people hostage in a Sydney café
Heavily armed police remained posted around the cafe as night fell and the hostage drama continued into the night. Inside, the remaining hostages were brought food and were observed by witnesses as looking 'pained'
He was also arrested in April this year for the sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in 2002 after luring her to his clinic following claims he was as an expert in astrology, meditation and black magic, The Daily Telegraph also reported.
Monis was slapped with an additional 40 charges in October after more victims to come forward after the alleged incidents that occurred from his spiritual healing clinic in Station Street in Wentworthville - western Sydney.
As many as 15 hostages seized by the gunman, who stormed a Sydney cafe at morning rush hour on Monday, are facing a terrifying night as a siege in the centre of the city continued after dark, hours after five captives made a courageous break for freedom.
Three videos were released on YouTube of three female hostages declaring the gunman's demands, which included the police bringing an ISIS flag to the cafe and insisting that he speak with Prime Minister Tony Abbott - however Daily Mail Australia decided not to air the disturbing footage which has since been taken down.
Channel Nine reported the gunman's name after receiving approval from senior police.
Witnesses saw food prepared in the cafe's kitchen brought out to the remaining hostages, thought to number between ten and 15, as the stand-off with heavily armed police entered its twelfth hour.
The drama began unfolding around 9,30 am, when a gunman entered the cafe, located in one of busiest plazas in Sydney's central business district, and pulled a shotgun from a blue carry bag and disabled the doors to the business.
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The seige in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday follows an unsuccessful attempt to have the charges overturned linked to the hate mail he sent to the families of dead Australian soldiersin the High Court on Friday
Soon afterwards, hostages were seen with their hands pressed against the windows holding up the Islamic Shahada flag. It is an emblem of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria. The man was described as wearing a headband with Arabic writing on it.
Scores of police rushed to the scene, evacuating surrounding buildings and closing off part of the city. The scene sent shockwaves across Australia, where terror attacks have rarely touched home soil.
Paramilitary police armed with automatic rifles spent all day Monday surrounding the cafe, but senior commanders said they would be taking a patient approach to the siege and hoped to end it through negotiation with the gunman.
A total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, managed to escape the cafe by scrambling out a side door about seven hours into the drama. Fear etched on their faces, they ran into the arms of waiting police.
It is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being released by their captor. One former male hostage has been taken to nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and is being treated for a pre-existing condition. The gunman flew into a rage when he realised some of his captives had escaped.
'The gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at remaining hostages,' tweeted journalist Chris Reason, who has a direct line of sight into the cafe from the Seven Network newsroom directly opposite and inside the police cordon.
The light inside the building has gone off tonight, Mr Reason said, but police would not reveal whether it was a law enforcement or hostage-taker tactic.
Police negotiators have learned the name of the man and have made contact.
This evening, Mr Reason said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window.
'From inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained, strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted. Food and water was also being delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.
Arriving as a refugee in Australia in 1996, the hostage-taker was charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her western Sydney apartment block in November 2013
A young female employee came running out of the Lindt cafe shortly before 5pm and was sheltered by waiting police
Another distraught female worker, cafe barista Elly Chen, bolted from the shop before taking cover with police
A total of five hostages have now escaped Lindt cafe - it's believed they escaped and were not released
One of the young female employees was visibly upset as she grabbed hold of armed police
'Omg Elly!! So glad you're OK': Ms Chen, pictured, was the fifth hostage, scrambling from the cafe with her hands in the air
Freedom: Ms Chen was helped to a cover immediately after she burst from the Lindt Cafe store
Daily Mail Australia understands a 25-year-old female fashion industry worker and two female baristas aged in their 30s are among that number.
As scores of heavily armed police, clad in black, remained on guard in Martin Place, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione tonight said police would do whatever it takes for the situation to be peacefully resolved.
The hostage taker is believed to have demanded a flag of the Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria and to talk to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Sydney was eerily quiet on Monday night. Office buildings went into lockdown earlier this morning, Martin Place train station - a central thoroughfare for workers - was shuttered. Events at the Opera House, such as a performance of the Nutcracker, were cancelled as the city icon was evacuated.
Hundreds of heavily armed police, operating under unprecedented Task Force Pioneer counter-terrorism protocols, were scouring the city, completely isolating the darkened cafe.
Two terrified men were spotted fleeing the Lindt cafe in Martin Place shortly before 3.45pm
Two men, believed to be customers, ran around a corner and hid behind heavily armed police after six hours inside the cafe
A male employee wearing an apron frantically ran out of a side fire exit and hid behind police
BThe three men are believed to have escaped from the cafe after six hours
Many remain: Around 10 hostages are thought to remain inside the Lindt chocolate cafe
On Monday morning, columnist Chris Kenny, who was in the shop about 20 minutes before the siege began, said he understood the automatic glass sliding doors had been disabled after the gunman stormed the store.
'I did speak to a couple of people who saw a bit more of this unfold than I did,' he said. 'One woman said she tried to go into the shop just after I came out with my takeaway coffee but the doors wouldn't open.
'So obviously whoever is doing this has disabled the automatic glass sliding doors to stop anyone else going in and she said immediately she could see there was a weapon.
'The woman was quite frantic but very clear what she was telling (the police).
'I know the faces of the people who are sitting there enjoying a morning coffee.'
2GB radio host Ray Hadley said he had three tense telephone conversations with one of the hostages inside the cafe and he could hear the gunman giving demands.
The hostage asked to be put to air live following the instructions of the gunman. However, Hadley refused saying he didn't have the expertise to deal with the situation.
'There are some people who are not well. They've been in there for five hours, they're distraught,' he said.
'I'm not in a position to comply with requests that have been made, I can't.
'The media can't play a role in negotiating with people purporting to be from Islamic State holding hostages in a cafe in Sydney. This is the job of authorities to solve htis problem.
'They want us to say things that we simply can't say.'
Witnesses described the chaotic scenes in the legal, business and media centre as it was shut down and scores of heavily armed police surrounded the Lindt building.
All of the chocolate chain's stores around Sydney were closed following the incident, in an act of camaraderie.
Dozens of people are being held hostage by a terrorist who stormed into a central Sydney cafe with a gun and forced crying women to hold a black Islamic flag up to the window
A man believed to be one of the hostage-takers was filmed wearing a black headband covered in Arabic inside the cafe
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Terrified customers and employees were among those standing with their hands against the window at the Lindt cafe in Sydney
A hostage could be seen pressing their hands up against the window of the cafe
One blonde-haired hostage was pictured inside the cafe through the glass doors standing in the middle of the shop
SYDNEY SIEGE TIMELINE
9.45am - A number of hostages held inside a cafe in Sydney's Martin Place with an Islamic flag pressed up against a window.
10.14am - Police establish a 150m exclusion zone around the cafe with specialist police outside the shop.
10.55am - The flag being displayed appears to be the Shahada flag which has been adopted by extremist groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
11.40am - Channel Seven air footage of alleged armed offender. He is middle aged with a salt and pepper beard, wearing a headband with Islamic writing.
11.51am - NSW Police try to make contact with the people inside the cafe. They advise workers who are trapped in buildings inside the police cordon to stay away from windows.
1.30pm - NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says they had moved to a 'footing' similar to dealing with a terrorist attack.
1.55pm - NSW Premier Mike Baird says Sydney is being tested today, but 'we will remain a democratic society'
2.45pm - Lindt Chocolat Cafe Australia thank the public for their support via Facebook, saying they are 'deeply concerned over this serious incident'
3.37pm - Three male hostages run out of the cafe.
3.50pm - NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn confirms negotiators have spoken with a gunman.
5.00pm - Two female Lindt workers leave the cafe.
Police kept their guns raised on the fire exit after an employee unexpectedly ran from the cafe
Police are stationed behind a ballistic shield with weapons drawn outside the fire door where a hostage escaped from
Police officers were spotted climbing through the first floor window above the Lindt cafe to help evacuate those inside
Scores of police have surrounded the cafe in Martin Place amid claims the terrorists are also armed with a machete and may have explosives
Armed police have sealed off streets around the cafe and Martin Place station is shut
Thousands of workers have been evacuated from the buildings in Martin Place and have been directed to another area
People in the area encompassing Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place have been directed to remain indoors and away from open windows
Emergency services have shut down the area surrounding Martin Place as they continue the operation
A Lindt cafe employee, who was due to start her shift just an hour after the Sydney hostage drama unfolded, said she was 'shaking with fear' when the gunman arrived.
Kathryn Chee, a chocolatier at the cafe said she meant to turn up early for her 11am shift because the business had been so busy in the lead up to Christmas.
'It shakes me to the bone,' Ms Chee told the ABC. She said her colleagues who are now hostages are 'people who I hold like another family'.
'It's good I'm not there but I wish I could be there for them. That could be me standing there.'
Ms Chee said the young woman seen in footage holding an Islamic flag pressed against the window had 'a look of sheer horror on her face'.
She says the woman is a thoughtful colleague who bakes treats for people's birthdays.
Ms Chee said the male hostage seen in the TV footage is a funny guy who jokes with the customers.
Police have handcuffed a man 200m from the cafe with reports an officer has hit foot on what appears to be a small black handgun
Hostages: People could be seen with their hands pressed against the window of the Lindt cafe in Sydney
Police have shut down Martin Place train station and office buildings in the area have been evacuated
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the incident as 'deeply concerning' but said police were well equipped to respond
Officials have also evacuated the Opera House after reports of a suspicious device
Other areas of Sydney are feeling a heavy police presence as the siege at Martin Place continues
Witnesses have described the chaotic scenes in Martin Place as the area was shut down and scores of police surrounded the building
The Seven Network newsroom, which is in a building opposite the cafe, was among the first to be evacuated, immediately followed by the nearby Westpac building and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Surrounding buildings soon followed or went into lockdown.
Even the city's courts, including the venerable Downing Centre building, were sealed for the day, with police quickly vacating the areas.
Rosemary Healion, who works at Frederick Jordan Chambers, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning that 'a couple hundred' of her colleagues were inside at the time of the attack.
'My colleagues are still in there. They're trying to get them out now,' Ms Healion told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Healion said her office was on the ground floor, the same one as Lindt and they had been pushed behind the office's reception area.
'I'm so so worried as you would be. I was about to walk into the cafe. I get coffee there all the time.'
Window cleaner, David Wilson, managed to get a birds-eye-view of police swarming into Martin Place as he and a colleague cleaned the windows of a building across from Lindt.
'We were looking around and there were cops running around and guns drawn. Some people came out, they looked like just coffee drinkers and that was about all we saw,' Mr Wilson said, adding that his colleague's first response was to get out his phone and start filming.
Rodrigo Neryt was arriving at Channel Seven for his first day of work experience when he heard screaming out the front of the cafe.
'I was at the corner when everything started. I saw people yelling and screaming and two police cars arriving at the scene. I saw what looked like a black ISIS flag and they were holding it up'.
Armed police evacuated office staff next to the Lindt cafe on Monday afternoon
Police helped direct employees who were in lockdown in a building near the cafe under siege
Police in white jumpsuits were helping people climb from the offices on the level above the Lindt cafe
Women help an elderly lady as they are evacuated by NSW Police from Martin Place
Three women were pictured rushing through Philip Street past armed police as they fled Martin Place
It is unclear how many people are involved in the siege in a Lindt cafe in Martin Place but people could be seen with their hands pressed against the windows (second window)
At least two gunmen are involved in the siege but dozens of armed police have sealed off the streets surrounding the site
WHAT IS THE SHAHADA FLAG?
Held up to a window by terrified hostages, a black flag covered in white Arabic was the first sign that the Martin Place siege could be linked to extremist Islam.
Witnesses initially believed that it was the standard of ISIS. However, close examination revealed it was in fact the Shahada flag, bearing the words 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'
It is used by the extremist group, Jabhat al Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria.
But it has meaning for all Muslims, in that the Shahada is the Islamic Creed, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which is recited by Muslims when they pray.
The flag displayed at the Lindt cafe
John Edwards works across the road from the cafe on the ninth floor of 53 Martin Place.
He said every floor of the building had been cleared about 11.15am.
'We were evacuated out of the building from the basement,' Mr Edwards told Daily Mail Australia.
'All we were told by security was to get out.'
Lindt Australia issued a statement about the siege on its Facebook page.
'We are deeply concerned over this serious incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the staff and customers involved and all their friends and families,' they said.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Martin Place was the planned location of a terror plot. It was alleged in September that Omarjan Azari, the 22-year-old Sydney man arrested on terrorism charges, was planning a public beheading there.
The alleged terror plot, mentioned in a conversation between now deceased Australian terrorism recruiter in Syria, Mohammad Ali Barylei and Azari, involved selecting a member of the public at random, beheading them and then covering their body in a flag.
The whole incident was going to be filmed, and then used as propaganda for the Islamic State cause. Federal prosecutors said the alleged terror plot was 'clearly designed to shock, horror and terrify the community'
Police Prosecutor Michael Allnutt said that Azari had made a threat which involved a 'random selection of persons to execute' during a telephone conversation with Baryalei.
Azari was arrested on September 18 and charged with preparing for an act of terrorism.
He is due in court this week for a bail application.
Thousands of office workers have relocated from Martin Place to Sydney's Hyde Park
Patients from the nearby Sydney Hospital patients were also evacuated alongside office workers
Police are guarding the area in Hyde Park where people are congregating after evacuating
People evacuated from offices in Martin Place have been told to congregate in Hyde Park
Martin Place is one of Sydney's busiest streets and is at the centre of the CBD
I have yet to come across anyone in this forum who can do a single long copy n paste posting, neatly formatted and easy to the eye.
BREAKING NEWS: Sydney siege ends with Muslim gunman dead and one hostage killed after police and special forces storm cafe with guns and stun grenades
- Police stormed the cafe in central Sydney where a gunman held hostages for more than 16 hours
- Police moved in firing automatic weapons and throwing grenades as hostages were seen fleeing in terror from cafe
- Live TV footage showed hostages running frantically from the cafe at shortly after 2am in small groups
- It came hours after Man Haron Monis was named as the gunman holding people hostage in a Sydney café
- Iranian refugee, 49,was charged with accessory in the murder of his ex-wife
- He was also facing multiple charges of sexual assault while claiming to be a 'spiritual healer'
- Monis received 300 community service hours for sending hate mail to the families of Australian dead soldiers
- The seige follows an unsuccessful attempt to have these charges overturned in the High Court on Friday
- He forced hostages to hold up black flag with white writing in Arabic, an emblem linked to terror groups
Published: 23:06 GMT, 14 December 2014 | Updated: 17:12 GMT, 15 December 2014
An Iranian-born gunman and one of his hostages were reportedly shot dead in a dramatic and chaotic firefight that ended the Sydney cafe siege after a tense 17-hour stand-off.
A swarm of heavily armed police stormed the Lindt Chocolat cafe in a hail of gunfire and stun grenades in the early hours of the morning. There were that at least three others were injured, but this could not immediately be confirmed.
Live television coverage showed at least two people being taken away from the scene on stretchers. One hostage was seen being carried out of the building. She appeared to be in pain, and blood flowed down her legs. Nine News reported that eleven hostages had been accounted for after the police raid, which occurred shortly after 2am.
An injured hostage is carried away on a stretcher by paramedics after police stormed the Lindt Chocolat cafe in central Sydney where around 20 people were being held by a gunman during a 17-hour siege. One hostage and the gunman were reportedly killed in the firefight
A dead hostage is carried out of the cafe after they were reportedly shot by the hostage-taker, prompting police to storm the building
A female hostage is carried out and away from the cafe - clearly in distress with blood pouring down the legs
Two female hostages look exhausted and in disbelief
Siege over: Police raided the cafe in central Sydney early Tuesday, bringing a dramatic end to a 17-hour siefe. The raid came moments after some hostages fled the Lindt cafe after more than 16
Heavily armed police opened fire with automatic weapons and hurled what appeared to be stun grenades as they stormed into the cafe
A police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the siege was over, but that no more details would be immediately released.
A scene of pandemonium erupted in the early morning just minutes after hostages started emerging from the cafe. Initially one man emerged with his hands up and lay down on the ground in front of police. Seconds later, a group of of five hostages appeared suddenly after apparently escaping the cafe.
This appeared to be the trigger for tactical police to move in. Within seconds, they had blasted open the cafe door and opened fire with automatic weapons, also hurling what appeared to be stun grenades. The sounds of explosions echoed through the city, and the flashes of rifle fire and the grenades lit up the area.
The gunfight lasted less than two minutes, and more hostages appeared to emerge after the police raid. As the scene calmed down, a bomb disposal robot was seen entering the cafe. The dramatic end to the siege came as the gunman holding the remaining captives was revealed as a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric Man Haron Monis.
Monis is a 49-year-old man living in southwest Sydney, but is originally from Iran and a self-proclaimed sheik, and also sent hate mail to the families of Australian dead soldiers between 2007 and 2009, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The seige in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday follows an unsuccessful attempt to have these charges overturned in the High Court on Friday, The Age reported.
Monis received 300 community service hours and a two-year good behaviour bond for the correspondence, which he claims were his version of sympathy cards, sent with the help from his girlfriend Amirah Droudis.
Arriving as a refugee in Australia in 1996, the hostage-taker was charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her western Sydney apartment block in November 2013.
The man's current partner was charged with murder but they both received bail as the case was deemed too weak.
Six hostages came out all at once at 2am after almost nine hours of
A woman appeared distressed and injured as she is carried by emergency workers
Man Haron Monis - also known as Sheik Haron - has been named as the gunman holding up to 15 people hostage in a Sydney café
Heavily armed police remained posted around the cafe as night fell and the hostage drama continued into the night. Inside, the remaining hostages were brought food and were observed by witnesses as looking 'pained'
He was also arrested in April this year for the sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in 2002 after luring her to his clinic following claims he was as an expert in astrology, meditation and black magic, The Daily Telegraph also reported.
Monis was slapped with an additional 40 charges in October after more victims to come forward after the alleged incidents that occurred from his spiritual healing clinic in Station Street in Wentworthville - western Sydney.
As many as 15 hostages seized by the gunman, who stormed a Sydney cafe at morning rush hour on Monday, are facing a terrifying night as a siege in the centre of the city continued after dark, hours after five captives made a courageous break for freedom.
Three videos were released on YouTube of three female hostages declaring the gunman's demands, which included the police bringing an ISIS flag to the cafe and insisting that he speak with Prime Minister Tony Abbott - however Daily Mail Australia decided not to air the disturbing footage which has since been taken down.
Channel Nine reported the gunman's name after receiving approval from senior police.
Witnesses saw food prepared in the cafe's kitchen brought out to the remaining hostages, thought to number between ten and 15, as the stand-off with heavily armed police entered its twelfth hour.
The drama began unfolding around 9,30 am, when a gunman entered the cafe, located in one of busiest plazas in Sydney's central business district, and pulled a shotgun from a blue carry bag and disabled the doors to the business.
<center></center>
The seige in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday follows an unsuccessful attempt to have the charges overturned linked to the hate mail he sent to the families of dead Australian soldiersin the High Court on Friday
Soon afterwards, hostages were seen with their hands pressed against the windows holding up the Islamic Shahada flag. It is an emblem of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria. The man was described as wearing a headband with Arabic writing on it.
Scores of police rushed to the scene, evacuating surrounding buildings and closing off part of the city. The scene sent shockwaves across Australia, where terror attacks have rarely touched home soil.
Paramilitary police armed with automatic rifles spent all day Monday surrounding the cafe, but senior commanders said they would be taking a patient approach to the siege and hoped to end it through negotiation with the gunman.
A total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, managed to escape the cafe by scrambling out a side door about seven hours into the drama. Fear etched on their faces, they ran into the arms of waiting police.
It is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being released by their captor. One former male hostage has been taken to nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and is being treated for a pre-existing condition. The gunman flew into a rage when he realised some of his captives had escaped.
'The gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at remaining hostages,' tweeted journalist Chris Reason, who has a direct line of sight into the cafe from the Seven Network newsroom directly opposite and inside the police cordon.
The light inside the building has gone off tonight, Mr Reason said, but police would not reveal whether it was a law enforcement or hostage-taker tactic.
Police negotiators have learned the name of the man and have made contact.
This evening, Mr Reason said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window.
'From inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained, strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted. Food and water was also being delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.
Arriving as a refugee in Australia in 1996, the hostage-taker was charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her western Sydney apartment block in November 2013
A young female employee came running out of the Lindt cafe shortly before 5pm and was sheltered by waiting police
Another distraught female worker, cafe barista Elly Chen, bolted from the shop before taking cover with police
A total of five hostages have now escaped Lindt cafe - it's believed they escaped and were not released
One of the young female employees was visibly upset as she grabbed hold of armed police
'Omg Elly!! So glad you're OK': Ms Chen, pictured, was the fifth hostage, scrambling from the cafe with her hands in the air
Freedom: Ms Chen was helped to a cover immediately after she burst from the Lindt Cafe store
Daily Mail Australia understands a 25-year-old female fashion industry worker and two female baristas aged in their 30s are among that number.
As scores of heavily armed police, clad in black, remained on guard in Martin Place, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione tonight said police would do whatever it takes for the situation to be peacefully resolved.
The hostage taker is believed to have demanded a flag of the Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria and to talk to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Sydney was eerily quiet on Monday night. Office buildings went into lockdown earlier this morning, Martin Place train station - a central thoroughfare for workers - was shuttered. Events at the Opera House, such as a performance of the Nutcracker, were cancelled as the city icon was evacuated.
Hundreds of heavily armed police, operating under unprecedented Task Force Pioneer counter-terrorism protocols, were scouring the city, completely isolating the darkened cafe.
Two terrified men were spotted fleeing the Lindt cafe in Martin Place shortly before 3.45pm
Two men, believed to be customers, ran around a corner and hid behind heavily armed police after six hours inside the cafe
A male employee wearing an apron frantically ran out of a side fire exit and hid behind police
BThe three men are believed to have escaped from the cafe after six hours
Many remain: Around 10 hostages are thought to remain inside the Lindt chocolate cafe
On Monday morning, columnist Chris Kenny, who was in the shop about 20 minutes before the siege began, said he understood the automatic glass sliding doors had been disabled after the gunman stormed the store.
'I did speak to a couple of people who saw a bit more of this unfold than I did,' he said. 'One woman said she tried to go into the shop just after I came out with my takeaway coffee but the doors wouldn't open.
'So obviously whoever is doing this has disabled the automatic glass sliding doors to stop anyone else going in and she said immediately she could see there was a weapon.
'The woman was quite frantic but very clear what she was telling (the police).
'I know the faces of the people who are sitting there enjoying a morning coffee.'
2GB radio host Ray Hadley said he had three tense telephone conversations with one of the hostages inside the cafe and he could hear the gunman giving demands.
The hostage asked to be put to air live following the instructions of the gunman. However, Hadley refused saying he didn't have the expertise to deal with the situation.
'There are some people who are not well. They've been in there for five hours, they're distraught,' he said.
'I'm not in a position to comply with requests that have been made, I can't.
'The media can't play a role in negotiating with people purporting to be from Islamic State holding hostages in a cafe in Sydney. This is the job of authorities to solve htis problem.
'They want us to say things that we simply can't say.'
Witnesses described the chaotic scenes in the legal, business and media centre as it was shut down and scores of heavily armed police surrounded the Lindt building.
All of the chocolate chain's stores around Sydney were closed following the incident, in an act of camaraderie.
Dozens of people are being held hostage by a terrorist who stormed into a central Sydney cafe with a gun and forced crying women to hold a black Islamic flag up to the window
A man believed to be one of the hostage-takers was filmed wearing a black headband covered in Arabic inside the cafe
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Terrified customers and employees were among those standing with their hands against the window at the Lindt cafe in Sydney
A hostage could be seen pressing their hands up against the window of the cafe
One blonde-haired hostage was pictured inside the cafe through the glass doors standing in the middle of the shop
SYDNEY SIEGE TIMELINE
9.45am - A number of hostages held inside a cafe in Sydney's Martin Place with an Islamic flag pressed up against a window.
10.14am - Police establish a 150m exclusion zone around the cafe with specialist police outside the shop.
10.55am - The flag being displayed appears to be the Shahada flag which has been adopted by extremist groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
11.40am - Channel Seven air footage of alleged armed offender. He is middle aged with a salt and pepper beard, wearing a headband with Islamic writing.
11.51am - NSW Police try to make contact with the people inside the cafe. They advise workers who are trapped in buildings inside the police cordon to stay away from windows.
1.30pm - NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says they had moved to a 'footing' similar to dealing with a terrorist attack.
1.55pm - NSW Premier Mike Baird says Sydney is being tested today, but 'we will remain a democratic society'
2.45pm - Lindt Chocolat Cafe Australia thank the public for their support via Facebook, saying they are 'deeply concerned over this serious incident'
3.37pm - Three male hostages run out of the cafe.
3.50pm - NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn confirms negotiators have spoken with a gunman.
5.00pm - Two female Lindt workers leave the cafe.
Police kept their guns raised on the fire exit after an employee unexpectedly ran from the cafe
Police are stationed behind a ballistic shield with weapons drawn outside the fire door where a hostage escaped from
Police officers were spotted climbing through the first floor window above the Lindt cafe to help evacuate those inside
Scores of police have surrounded the cafe in Martin Place amid claims the terrorists are also armed with a machete and may have explosives
Armed police have sealed off streets around the cafe and Martin Place station is shut
Thousands of workers have been evacuated from the buildings in Martin Place and have been directed to another area
People in the area encompassing Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place have been directed to remain indoors and away from open windows
Emergency services have shut down the area surrounding Martin Place as they continue the operation
A Lindt cafe employee, who was due to start her shift just an hour after the Sydney hostage drama unfolded, said she was 'shaking with fear' when the gunman arrived.
Kathryn Chee, a chocolatier at the cafe said she meant to turn up early for her 11am shift because the business had been so busy in the lead up to Christmas.
'It shakes me to the bone,' Ms Chee told the ABC. She said her colleagues who are now hostages are 'people who I hold like another family'.
'It's good I'm not there but I wish I could be there for them. That could be me standing there.'
Ms Chee said the young woman seen in footage holding an Islamic flag pressed against the window had 'a look of sheer horror on her face'.
She says the woman is a thoughtful colleague who bakes treats for people's birthdays.
Ms Chee said the male hostage seen in the TV footage is a funny guy who jokes with the customers.
Police have handcuffed a man 200m from the cafe with reports an officer has hit foot on what appears to be a small black handgun
Hostages: People could be seen with their hands pressed against the window of the Lindt cafe in Sydney
Police have shut down Martin Place train station and office buildings in the area have been evacuated
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the incident as 'deeply concerning' but said police were well equipped to respond
Officials have also evacuated the Opera House after reports of a suspicious device
Other areas of Sydney are feeling a heavy police presence as the siege at Martin Place continues
Witnesses have described the chaotic scenes in Martin Place as the area was shut down and scores of police surrounded the building
The Seven Network newsroom, which is in a building opposite the cafe, was among the first to be evacuated, immediately followed by the nearby Westpac building and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Surrounding buildings soon followed or went into lockdown.
Even the city's courts, including the venerable Downing Centre building, were sealed for the day, with police quickly vacating the areas.
Rosemary Healion, who works at Frederick Jordan Chambers, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning that 'a couple hundred' of her colleagues were inside at the time of the attack.
'My colleagues are still in there. They're trying to get them out now,' Ms Healion told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Healion said her office was on the ground floor, the same one as Lindt and they had been pushed behind the office's reception area.
'I'm so so worried as you would be. I was about to walk into the cafe. I get coffee there all the time.'
Window cleaner, David Wilson, managed to get a birds-eye-view of police swarming into Martin Place as he and a colleague cleaned the windows of a building across from Lindt.
'We were looking around and there were cops running around and guns drawn. Some people came out, they looked like just coffee drinkers and that was about all we saw,' Mr Wilson said, adding that his colleague's first response was to get out his phone and start filming.
Rodrigo Neryt was arriving at Channel Seven for his first day of work experience when he heard screaming out the front of the cafe.
'I was at the corner when everything started. I saw people yelling and screaming and two police cars arriving at the scene. I saw what looked like a black ISIS flag and they were holding it up'.
Armed police evacuated office staff next to the Lindt cafe on Monday afternoon
Police helped direct employees who were in lockdown in a building near the cafe under siege
Police in white jumpsuits were helping people climb from the offices on the level above the Lindt cafe
Women help an elderly lady as they are evacuated by NSW Police from Martin Place
Three women were pictured rushing through Philip Street past armed police as they fled Martin Place
It is unclear how many people are involved in the siege in a Lindt cafe in Martin Place but people could be seen with their hands pressed against the windows (second window)
At least two gunmen are involved in the siege but dozens of armed police have sealed off the streets surrounding the site
WHAT IS THE SHAHADA FLAG?
Held up to a window by terrified hostages, a black flag covered in white Arabic was the first sign that the Martin Place siege could be linked to extremist Islam.
Witnesses initially believed that it was the standard of ISIS. However, close examination revealed it was in fact the Shahada flag, bearing the words 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'
It is used by the extremist group, Jabhat al Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria.
But it has meaning for all Muslims, in that the Shahada is the Islamic Creed, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which is recited by Muslims when they pray.
The flag displayed at the Lindt cafe
John Edwards works across the road from the cafe on the ninth floor of 53 Martin Place.
He said every floor of the building had been cleared about 11.15am.
'We were evacuated out of the building from the basement,' Mr Edwards told Daily Mail Australia.
'All we were told by security was to get out.'
Lindt Australia issued a statement about the siege on its Facebook page.
'We are deeply concerned over this serious incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the staff and customers involved and all their friends and families,' they said.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Martin Place was the planned location of a terror plot. It was alleged in September that Omarjan Azari, the 22-year-old Sydney man arrested on terrorism charges, was planning a public beheading there.
The alleged terror plot, mentioned in a conversation between now deceased Australian terrorism recruiter in Syria, Mohammad Ali Barylei and Azari, involved selecting a member of the public at random, beheading them and then covering their body in a flag.
The whole incident was going to be filmed, and then used as propaganda for the Islamic State cause. Federal prosecutors said the alleged terror plot was 'clearly designed to shock, horror and terrify the community'
Police Prosecutor Michael Allnutt said that Azari had made a threat which involved a 'random selection of persons to execute' during a telephone conversation with Baryalei.
Azari was arrested on September 18 and charged with preparing for an act of terrorism.
He is due in court this week for a bail application.
Thousands of office workers have relocated from Martin Place to Sydney's Hyde Park
Patients from the nearby Sydney Hospital patients were also evacuated alongside office workers
Police are guarding the area in Hyde Park where people are congregating after evacuating
People evacuated from offices in Martin Place have been told to congregate in Hyde Park
Martin Place is one of Sydney's busiest streets and is at the centre of the CBD
cannot spray with stun guns.
Re: Sydney Hostages KPKB, no death no excecution yet so far KNN!
Well done! Excellent work there!
Well done! Excellent work there!
What is the difference of all hostages killed or 2 killed ? Does it mean the life of those being saved are more worthy ? IS this considered a successful mission ?
Thanks, I heard one of the commentators repeating the words "stun gun" and thought that there is something new in the market for hostage rescue.
I'm not an expert in this field, if you wanted my stand, I feel that the mission isn't a successful event at all.
Any reports on negotiators on the ground to diffuse the situation? Things would also have been different once the number of perpetrators involved had been ascertained, the types of threat present could be extracted as 5 escaped from that cafe. Snipers could have taken a shot instead of that camera-man :o:o:o
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