Sydney siege ends with death of three, including the gunman

#sydneysiege The siege in Lindt café in Sydney ended after 6-hours and the gunman was killed apart from three others – they were a mother-of-three and the manager of the café in Martin Place. Four others were wounded, among them was a police officer who was shot in the face.
The police descended only after they heard a number of gunshots from inside because it was felt that if they did not intervene directly, many lives would be lost.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has offered his sympathy to their families. He has said that the perpetrator of this crime was well known to state and commonwealth authorities and had a long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability.
The manager 34-year-old Tori Johnson was shot dead after he tried to wrest the gun from the gunman, self-described Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis inside the Lindt café – the incident happened at around 2am local time.
The woman killed was 38-year-old Katrina Dawson – she was a mother of three young children and a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers in Sydney's Phillip Street located opposite the café. She succumbed to her injuries in hospital after being held hostage for more than 16 hours.

Gunman in Sydney siege identified as an Iranian refugee

#Sydneysiege The identity of the gunman who is holding people hostage in a café in Sydney is now known, he has been identified as an Iranian refugee who has been in Australia since 1996 under political asylum – he is supposed to be a lawyer by profession.
He is Man Haron Monis and is on bail facing a number of charges. These include for being an accessory to the murder of his former wife and he is also facing more than 40 sexual and indecent assault charges. In addition, he has earlier been convicted for sending offensive letters to the families of deceased Australian soldiers.
The police of Central Sydney are in negotiations with the gunman and the area is in lock down around the café – it is understood that some hostages have managed to escape.
As per reports, a black Islamic flag was displayed at the window and the gunman made use of three of the hostages to pass on demands – they were made to stand beside a black flag and make statements to a camera.
The exact number of hostages inside the Lindt café in Martin Place is not clear. The building is located in a busy shopping area in Sydney's financial district.
The incident broke in the morning and, as night fell, the gunman switched off the lights inside.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has expressed profound shock that people were being "held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation".

Another hostage crisis - armed men storm into apparent in Ghent and take hostage

#Ghent Coming in the wake of #sydneysiege in Australia, four gunmen are reported to have stormed into an apartment located on Pilorijnstraat in the Belgian city of Ghent today and taken at least one hostage as confirmed by the state prosecution service.
The police have cordoned off a wide perimeter around the scene in the Dampoort area of the city in the working-class neighborhood and have asked the local residents to remain indoors. The incident has sparked fears in the region that the siege could be related to terror activities.
This fear is because of the incident in Sydney where an Islamist fanatic took a number of hostages in a cafe today. However, as per initial reports, there is no evidence that it is linked to terrorism but could be related to some drug ring. Two persons have been taken in custody without violence. It has been clarified by a federal police spokeswoman Annemie Serlippens that there appears to be nothing political about the incident.
Incidentally, this is the second instance in six weeks’ time that #Ghent has seen a hostage situation – earlier, on October 23, a man was taken hostage on the top floor of an apartment building at Charles de Kerchovelaan – that involved an unpaid debt.

Terror attack in Sydney - hostages held inside café in Martin Place

#sydneysiege The jihadists have attacked a chocolate café in Sydney and are believed to be holding hostages consisting of customers and staff of the Lindt café in central part of the city. It is an armed siege and gunmen are inside – they have forced sobbing hostages against the window with their hands raised. The jihadist flag has been seen in the windows. It is the flag of the Shahada of the Jabhat al Nusra.
The Australian police have sealed off the surrounding streets because there are genuine apprehensions that the attacker or attackers may be having shotgun and explosives.
The NYPD has indicated that they are 'aware of what's happening in Australia', and are ‘monitoring the situation in Sydney.' The U.S. government has evacuated its consulate in Sydney since it is very close to the scene of the confrontation.
It is believed that the attack has links to ISIS, the terror organization – it has been routinely encouraging its supporters to make small-scale 'lone wolf' attacks against the West, especially the United States.
President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation by a homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser. As per preliminary reports, the Sydney incident began shortly after a 25-year-old suspect was arrested in a terror raid in the city. Officials have evacuated the Sydney Opera House nearby following reports of a suspicious device.
It may be recalled that in September, a man had been arrested – it was reported that he had plans to select an individual at random, behead him (or her), cover the body with the flag of ISIS and take a video of the same and use it further as propaganda material for the ISIS cause.