Army
Commandos End Sydney Siege
Police say a hostage situation in Sydney is over after a swarm of heavily armed officers stormed a cafe where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people captive since the height of the morning rush-hour.
A police spokesman confirmed "the operation is over" but would not release any further details.
Police swooped into the Lindt Chocolat Cafe shortly after five or six hostages were seen running out of the building at around 2am local time, more than 16 hours after the siege began.
After the police moved in, one weeping woman was helped out by the officers and at least two other people were wheeled out on stretchers.
Earlier, two people inside the building had been seen holding up a flag containing an Islamic declaration of faith.
The first development came six hours after the hostage crisis began, when three men were seen running from a fire exit of the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in central Sydney.
Shortly afterwards, two women, one after the other, sprinted from the cafe and into the arms of heavily armed police. Both were wearing aprons with the Lindt chocolate logo, indicating that they were members of staff.
One hospital in the city said it was treating a woman for gunshot wounds to the leg.
Police say they believe the hostage taker was self-styled Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis, who recently attracted attention by writing offensive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
He was sentenced to 300 hours of community service for writing the letters and was also banned in 2010 from writing similar "letters of condolence" to the families of British soldiers killed in that conflict.
It is believed Monis was on bail after he was arrested earlier this year over sexual assault allegations stemming from 2002. He was also reportedly charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
The Islamic State group, which now holds a third of Syria and Iraq, has threatened Australia in the past.
In September, Islamic State group spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani issued an audio message urging so-called "lone wolf" attacks abroad, specifically mentioning Australia.
He told Muslims to kill all "disbelievers", whether they be civilians or soldiers.
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