Dramatic end to Sydney siege as police storm cafe with guns and stun grenades as terrified hostages run for their lives

Gunman said to be killed

Jewish community ‘in lockdown’ following Sydney attack  "Jewish schools across Australia sent students home in the wake of an ongoing hostage crisis in a Sydney cafe Monday morning, where at least one gunman took multiple people captive in an apparent politically motivated attack."
 Times of Israel

UK Daily Mail

Man Haron Monis was named as the gunman.

 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 Sydneyapartment block in 2013

 

"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 café
• 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  (Somewhat like the Westboro Baptist Church does)
• 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 

 

"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."