A daylong standoff in Sydney, Australia, ended after heavily armed police stormed the cafe where a man, who was known to authorities, reportedly held at least a dozen people hostage for about 16 hours.
Heavy gunfire and loud bangs from stun grenades filled the air around 2 a.m. local time (1500 GMT on Monday) after security forces in tactical gear surrounded, then entered the storefront.
Moments earlier at least six people believed to have been held captive managed to flee the cafe.
There were unconfirmed reports of casualties. Several people were wheeled away from the scene conscious and alert on stretchers.
Only minutes before police stormed the cafe, officials had identified the gunman as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee and a self-proclaimed Muslim cleric.
Monis is believed to have started the siege on the Lindt chocolate cafe in the city’s central business district about 9:45 a.m. local time Monday.
Monis, who is facing charges including sexual assault and accessory to murder in separate cases, was found guilty in 2012 of sending offensive and threatening letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed overseas, according to media reports.
Media said that two people, including the gunman, had been killed. New South Wales police declined to comment on the reports, and it was not clear whether the fatalities occurred during the rescue operation itself.
Local media reported that Monis, who was known as Manteghi Bourjerdi before he changed his name, was 49 or 50 years old.
Early in the crisis, hostages were seen standing with their hands pushed up against the windows. A black flag with the Islamic creed known as the Shahada written in white could be seen through the glass.
New South Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione on Monday refused to call the situation a terrorist act. But Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the incident at the cafe may have been politically motivated.
Nearby buildings, including the U.S. Consulate in Sydney, had been evacuated. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the department is monitoring the hostage situation and the mission’s personnel are accounted for.
The New South Wales state parliament house is also just a few blocks away.
Source-VOA
