At least two people are reported dead in a flurry of violence, but the standoff between police and an Islamic militant who captured approximately 15 Australians has come to an end.
CBS has reported New South Wales police confirmed that several people were killed in relation to the standoff, centered in a Lindt Cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place.
Australia’s Seven News has reported that the militant, 49-year-old Man Haron Monis, an Iranian-born immigrant to Australia who was on bail for his possible role in his girlfriend’s alleged murder of his ex-wife, was arrested or killed. It’s also unclear who was killed, or how. Monis had claimed to have stashed three bombs around Sydney that he would detonate if his demands—which include a phone call with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and a proper Islamic State flag, as his flag was the wrong one—weren’t met.
Among the few facts confirmed by multiple outlets is that around 10am EST—2am in Australia—police quickly stormed the Lindt Cafe, which Monis had taken over the previous day. Witnesses reported hearing a barrage of gunshots and possibly explosions.
Australia’s 9News captured the raid.
We’ll update as more comes to light.
Photo via Tony Webster/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
