BREAKING NEWS: Dramatic End to Sydney Siege as Police Storm Cafe With Guns and Stun Grenades as Terrified Hostages Run for Their Lives
-Two People Dead, Including Terrorist, 3 Injured
- 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 the 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
- The 49-year-old man lives in southwest Sydney, but is originally from Iran and a self-proclaimed sheik
- He was charged with accessory in 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
- He was also arrested for the sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in 2002 in April this year after luring her to his clinic following claims he was as 'spiritual healer'
- Monis was slapped with an additional 40 charges in October after more victims to come forward
- 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 stormed the Lindt cafe in Martin Place during the morning rush hour on Monday stopped anyone fro
- He forced hostages to hold up black flag with white writing in Arabic, an emblem linked to terror groups
15 December 2014
Two people are reported to have died, one of them possibly the gunman, after police burst into the Sydney cafe at 2.11am and opened fire. Loud bangs and bursts of light could be seen as they stormed the cafe in Martin Place. Minutes before at least six more hostages escaped. In all, 11 were reported to have been freed during the dramatic climax to the siege which lasted 17 hours. Channel 9 reported four hostages may have been injured but this is yet to be confirmed. The gunman was named as Man Haron Monis, a self-styled sheik from Iran who arrived in Australia in 1996. He is on bail for being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, allegedly carried out by his current partner. Monis also faces 50 charges of indecent and sexual assault during his time as a 'spiritual healer'. He also appeared in court for sending hate-filled letters to the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Police firing automatic weapons and lobbing stun grenades stormed the cafe in central Sydney early on Tuesday where a gunman had been holding more than a dozen hostages, bringing a dramatic end to a siege lasting more than 16 hours.
There were reports that two people were killed and 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.
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 16hrs
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.
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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
Six hostages came out all at once at 2am
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
Police Storm Lindt Cafe Firing Live Ammunition
Witnesses of the Hostage Situation at Martin Place, Sydney