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Sydney hostage crisis: Live Report

17:02 GMT - AFP IS NOW CLOSING THIS LIVE REPORT - after Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe where a radical Islamist had taken several people hostage in an apparent "lone wolf" attack -- bringing to an end a siege lasting nearly 17 hours that left two people dead. Security forces in SWAT-style gear intervened, unleashing a flurry of loud bangs and flashes in the eatery in the heart of Australia's biggest city after a number of the staff and customers managed to flee for their lives. An AFP photographer saw one body carried out. Australian media said that in addition, the gunman was shot dead by police. Sky News also reported four people were wounded, three of them critically. Reports identified the hostage-taker as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian-born Islamist with a criminal history who was known to the police. 16:20 GMT - Man Monis dead? - Unconfirmed media reports say Iranian-born gunman Man Monis was killed when police stormed the building he was holed up in. 16:14 GMT - Lone wolf attacks - Australia's dramatic siege in which a gunman displayed an Islamic flag follows months of warnings about "lone wolf" attacks, and experts said authorities must think harder about how to tackle the problem. http://on-msn.com/136Advn 16:09 GMT - Possible dead - Unconfirmed media reports say two people were killed and three others wounded in the siege. 15:51 GMT - Siege over - Police in New South Wales tweet that the siege at the Lindt chocolate cafe in central Sydney is over. 15:50 GMT - AUSTRALIA POLICE CONFIRM SYDNEY SIEGE OVER - 15:41 GMT - CPR performed - Australia's 9News channel says paramedics performed CPR on at least one person. There has been no official toll yet of casualties from the siege. 15:36 GMT - Bomb robot - A bomb robot, which is used to detect and disarm explosives, has been sent into the siege building, an AFP witness says. 15:25 GMT - Easing tensions - Live footage of the siege site shows police appear to have let down their guard somewhat, lowering weapons and removing some armour, indicating the hostage crisis may be over 17 hours after it began. 15:19 GMT - Stretchers brought in - Paramedics take stretchers into the building, AFP's Glenda Kwek reports, as police exit the building. The bangs just before police entered the building are believed to be stun grenades. 15:18 GMT - Injured carried out - Australia's 9News shows footage of a woman being carried out of the building. An AFP reporter sees smoke coming from the building. 15:17 GMT - More gunshots - Police and paramedics have entered the building. More gunfire is heard. - Siege over? - 15:15 GMT - Live ammunition - Police tell media to back away from the building because "live ammunition" is being used. Another hostage is being led away from the building, and an alarm is ringing. 15:14 GMT - AUSTRALIAN POLICE STORM SIEGE BUILDING, GUNFIRE HEARD - 15:13 GMT - Loud bangs heard - Loud bangs heard near Lindt cafe siege site. Live footage shows Australian police apparently crowding one door. 15:12 GMT - Bomb disposal? - A man in a bomb disposal outfit has now neared the cafe, AFP's Glenda Kwek reports. 15:08 GMT - More hostages freed - Up to six hostages have fled the Lindt cafe siege in Sydney, an AFP witness and Australian media said. Australia's 9News channel counted six, meaning a total of 11 hostages have been freed or escaped since the start of the siege. 15:07 GMT - ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE HOSTAGES FLEE SIEGE - WITNESS/TV - 15:05 GMT - Apparent hostage freed - A man wearing jeans and a white shirt ran from the Lindt Cafe with his arms raised in the air before he dropped to the ground. 15:04 GMT - MAN RUNS OUT OF SIEGE BUILDING WITH ARMS IN AIR - 14:53 GMT - Monis and Assange - On his website, before it was taken down, Monis compared himself to Wikileaks' Julian Assange, saying both are activists facing government-backed smear campaigns. 14:49 GMT - Monis's website suspended - A website set up by Monis, or Sheikh Haron, has been suspended in the past few minutes. This fits a pattern of police efforts to rob him of the platform he sought through taking hostages in Sydney. Videos of the hostages voicing his demands have also been pulled from YouTube, and Australian police have asked media not to relay them either. 14:45 GMT - Gunman's sectarian riddle - The gunman has not yet been officially confirmed as Man Haron Monis, but if it is him, it does solve a riddle some analysts were pondering -- why was an apparently Sunni militant wearing a Shiite-inspired religious headband? Monis was born in Shiite-majority Iran, but has since converted to Sunni Islam. 14:29 GMT - Monis accusations - Man Haron Monis says the crimes he has been accused of in the past are attempts to smear him. "These cases are in fact political cases against this Muslim activist, not real criminal cases." 14:25 GMT - More on Monis - On his website, self-styled Sheikh Haron, also known as Man Haron Monis, says his children have been "taken away by the Australian government" and that he is not allowed to contact them. He also says the Australian government accused him of being an accessory to murder in 2013 and of "sexually and indecently" assaulting women in 2002. 14:12 GMT - Former Shiite - It appears the Iranian-born gunman has converted from Shiism to Sunni Islam. Islamic State and other jihadist groups consider Shiites heretics, or rejectionists -- "rafidi" -- of true Islam. "I used to be a Rafidi, but not anymore. Now I am a Muslim, Alhamdu Lillah," he says on his website. - About Monis - 14:02 GMT - 'Sheikh Haron' - The self-styled sheikh has his own Wikipedia entry, which links to a website sheikhharon.com. The banner photo features graphic images of dead Arab children, with the caption: "This is an evidence for the terrorism of America and its allies including Australia. The result of their airstrikes." 13:56 GMT - Different names - Australia's The Age newspaper says Monis has also gone by the names of Sheikh Haron and Mohammad Hassan Manteghi. He was born in Iran and most recently has been living at Bexley North in Sydney's south, the newspaper said. 13:52 GMT - Gunman's identity - Australian newspaper,the Sydney Morning Herald says Haron Monis, 49, sent offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers and has been charged with an additional 40 indecent and sexual assault charges relating to his time spent as a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer". Other media outlets give Monis's age as 50. New South Wales police have not yet commented publicly on the gunman's identity. 13:48 GMT - AUSTRALIA MEDIA IDENTIFY SYDNEY GUNMAN AS IRANIAN NAMED "MONIS" - - Gunman identified - 13:39 GMT - Sleepless - "There's been movement at the cafe, the gunman moving a hostage past the window, two more hostages change positions. Not much sleep in there," tweets 7News journalist Chris Reason at the scene. 13:27 GMT - The scene - About 100 people are standing along the police cordon in Martin Place, about 80 metres from the cafe, AFP reporter Glenda Kwek writes. Many are Sydneysiders who were evacuated from their offices or just moving around the city, and stopped to have a look at the scene for an hour or so. There's plenty of local and international media, perhaps 30, 40 or more at different spots of the city, though it's not quite a circus as everyone's very orderly and pretty supportive of each other. 13:06 GMT - Video message - At least two separate videos showed a single hostage -- different in each recording -- standing in a corner of the cafe. Behind them was a black flag featuring the Shahada -- or Islamic creed -- in Arabic script, held aloft by an unseen person. A poster for Lindt chocolate products could be seen in the corner of the shot. 13:00 GMT - Hostage videos - Videos have emerged online in the last half hour or so of tired-looking hostages repeating the hostage taker's demands. Video hosting site YouTube has since taken the footage offline. 12:22 GMT - Hostage-taker end game? - After a more than 11-hour siege, experts say the hostage-taker will be exhausted, but are concerned about his plans given he has no apparent exit plan. The one hostage-taker seen so far has shown his face to the media and has apparently not made any demands that would allow his escape. Islamic State and other jihadist groups glorify martyrdom as a way of ensuring entry to paradise. 11:36 GMT - Selfie backlash - Several pictures have emerged online of beaming people apparently taking photos of themselves near the Lindt Cafe, where a hostage crisis is unfolding, triggering condemnation from some commentators. Several news outlets have collated the selfie snaps and responses to them. "Selfie disgrace, how can people pose for pictures at scene of Sydney terror siege?" tweeted former Sunday Times columnist Jani Allan. - Selfies - 11:03 GMT - Uber under fire - San Francisco-based taxi service app Uber has come under fire for upping its prices in central Sydney during the hostage crisis, triggering outrage online and the hashtag #ubershame. "We are all concerned with events in CBD (Central Business District). Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area," Uber Sydney tweeted. However, it later changed strategy. "Uber rides out of the CBD today are free for all riders to help Sydneysiders get home safely." 10:48 GMT - Blasphemy - "What he's done is blasphemy, it is a crime," a Sydney Muslim leader tells Australia's 9News. He also said Australian Muslims are angry and condemn the hostage-taker's actions. 10:43 GMT - Long haul? - The lights at the Lindt Cafe have been off for several hours as police signal they are preparing for the long haul as 10:00 pm approaches in the now 11-hour hostage crisis. Police are urging commuters to come into the city as normal. 10:37 GMT - Flag meaning - The flag held up at the Lindt Cafe features the Shahada in Arabic script. The Shahada is the Islamic creed stating God is one and that Mohammed is his Prophet. 10:26 GMT - Hostage-taker's demands - Hostages in the Lindt Cafe have reportedly been posting the hostage-taker's demands on social media. The posts could not be verified independently, and New South Wales police have asked media not to publicise the demands. However, it has been widely reported that the hostage-taker had requested a black flag used by the Islamic State jihadist group. - Demands? - 10:07 GMT - Situation recap - Police have made clear they are in touch with a hostage-taker, and have confirmed that they are only dealing with one site at which hostages have been taken. Five hostages are now free, none has been injured, and the hostage-taker is apparently rotating them around the cafe in central Sydney, keeping them near windows in an effort to deter police marksmen. A black flag with Arabic script has been raised at one window. However, police have not confirmed the hostage-taker's demands, the number of attackers, or how many hostages remain. 10:02 GMT - Infosys hostage - Indian tech giant Infosys reportedly confirms one of its employees is being held hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney, in a statment carried by several news outlets but not on the company's website. "We can confirm that one Infosys employee is among the hostages at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. We are also in the process of confirming the whereabouts of all our other employees in the city. We are in constant touch with the local authorities and Indian consulate in Sydney for updates on the situation on the ground." 09:53 GMT - Not a pro - Analysts say the hostage-taker's plan does not seem to have been well-executed or well thought-out, indicating a self-starter, or lone wolf, attack rather than a sophisticated plan. An example is the fact that the wrong flag was brought to the scene. The black flag with Arabic script raised at the Lindt cafe window is not the one used by the Islamic State jihadist group. 09:52 GMT - Australian Muslims condemn siege - More than 40 Australian Muslim groups jointly condemn a siege at a Sydney cafe in which hostages were taken and an Islamic flag was displayed. "We reject any attempt to take the innocent life of any human being or to instil fear and terror into their hearts," they said in a statement, adding that it was a "despicable act". 09:40 GMT - Australians stand with Muslims - The hashtag #illridewithyou starts to trend, as Australians on Twitter offer to travel with Muslims fearing reprisals. "If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide's west suburbs to the city on Tues but don't want to travel alone #illridewithyou," tweeted Adelaide resident Sharna Bremner. 09:34 GMT - Social media role - New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says police are using social media to try to resolve the hostage crisis. "There's no place on earth that does not have access to social media... accordingly we're building our plans around that." - Social media - 09:30 GMT - No reprisals - New South Wales Police Commissoner Andrew Scipione says police are guarding against reprisal attacks on Muslim communities and mosques, and are working with confidence-building groups and religious leaders. "Clearly reprisal attacks should not happen," he said. 09:28 GMT - Police cagey - New South Wales police are being cagey on the details. They do not want to speculate on motive, the number of hostage takers or tactics. 09:21 GMT - Hostage-taker image - The website of The Australian newspaper has published a photo of a purported hostage taker holding one of the hostages. The man appears to be wearing a white long sleeve top, a sleeveless hooded jacket on top that and a bandana. 09:12 GMT - Police keen to keep city running - "If you had plans to go into the city, then you should go about your plans as usual," New South Wales police's Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn says. There is an exclusion zone around the scene of the hostage crisis in Martin Place, but all other buildings nearby will be operating as normal, she says. 08:59 GMT - Hostages fed - 7News reporter Chris Reason tweets: "From inside the Martin Place newsroom - we can see food is being delivered to the hostages. Staff bringing it out from kitchen at back." 08:57 GMT - 15 hostages - 9NEWS is reporting that about 15 people are being held hostage. The gunman had earlier rotated the hostages for around two hours at a time for stints pressed against the glass windows of the venue, it says. 08:49 GMT - Anxiety help - NSWHealth is offering information on @NSWHealth for people suffering stress or anxiety over the siege incident. 08:42 GMT - Agitated - 7News reporter Chris Reason, who has been allowed back into the Martin Place newsroom, which overlooks the Lindt cafe, tweets: "When the 5 hostages escaped, the gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at remaining hostages where the Sydney siege is taking place. "All the hostages now huddled at one end of Lindt Cafe. One is covering the window at that end with an apron." 08:25 GMT - Safety top priority - Deputy Commissioner Burn tweets: "Our approach is to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible. The priority is the safety of all involved." 08:12 GMT - 'Free, open, generous' - In a statement Abbott says it is "profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation. "Nevertheless, I can say that New South Wales Police and other agencies have responded to this incident with great professionalism," he says. "You can be proud of the way your police and security bodies have responded to the events of this day," he adds. “I think I can also commend the people of Sydney for the calmness with which they have reacted to this disturbing incident. “We are a free, open and generous people and today we have responded to this in character." 08:10 GMT - Testing day: PM - Prime Minister Tony Abbott tweets: "It’s been a difficult day, which has tested us, but like Australians in all sorts of situations, we have risen to the challenge. "I'm proud of the way police and security bodies have responded to the disturbing events today." - PM Abbott 'proud' - 07:54 GMT - Resolve situation - Deputy Commissioner Burn tweets police "are working methodically to resolve the situation." 07:47 GMT - Contact - 9NEWS is also reporting on its website that two hostages made contact with it at the hostage-taker's demand. "Their families have been contacted and the hostage-taker's demands have not been put to air," it says. 9NEWS reporter Mark Burrows says on the website he could hear the gunman in the background " clearly ... outlining his demands". Burrows says the first woman "sounded remarkably calm as she detailed (the gunman's) demands." 07:45 GMT - Identified - 9NEWS is reporting that police have identified the hostage taker. 07:38 GMT - British PM - British Prime Minister David Cameron tweets: "I was briefed overnight on the siege in Sydney. It's deeply concerning and my thoughts are with all those caught up in it." - Demands made - 07:31 GMT - ISIL flag - Channel Ten says it has spoken to two of the hostages inside the cafe and the man holding them had made a series of demands. "Our #TenNews team have spoken directly to 2 hostages inside the café… They are confirming 2 demands from the perpetrator," the network tweets. "He needs the ISIL flag to be directly delivered to the cafe; And his 2nd request is to speak to the Prime Minster. "They also state there are 4 bombs… two inside the Lindt café at Martin Place -- and two further in the Sydney CBD." 07:27 GMT - IS flag - The gunman has demanded that a flag of the Islamic State group be delivered to him and warned that four bombs have been planted around the city, a report says. At the start of the siege a flag -- black with white Arabic writing -- was held to a window by customers. It appeared to be the shahada, or profession of faith in Islam, and said: "There is no god but Allah; Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah." 06:56 GMT - Long night - The Australian is reporting that officials seem to be preparing for a long night with emergency services and welfare workers setting up tents in Hyde Park, a few blocks from the cafe and bottles of water being brought in. 06:19 GMT - More information - The first three hostages to run out of the cafe were all men while the second group of two were women. It was not clear if they escaped or were released. Deputy Police Commissioner Burn said police would first "make sure they are OK. "We will work with these people to figure out more information. We do not have information to suggest that anyone is harmed at this stage." Burn said while police did not have precise figures on how many hostages remained, "it is not as high as 30" as some reports have suggested. She added police negotiators "have had contact and continue to have contact" with the person holding the hostages. - Negotiators have contact - 06:14 GMT - Counter-terrorism protocols - NSW police have issued a new statement saying "no one has been injured as far as we know. "We are operating according to our Counter-Terrorism protocols, with our Counter Terrorism and Security Command in charge of this operation." Commuters have also been asked to stay away from the area on their way home. 06:11 GMT - Five now free - This now means that five people have managed to get out of the cafe, although it is still not know exactly how many are inside. 06:09 GMT - Two more run out - Two more hostages have been seen running out of the cafe. 06:06 GMT - Lockdown - Australia’s 9News also reports Jewish schools and institutions across the country are in lockdown 06:04 GMT - Speak to PM - Australia’s 9News is reporting that unconfirmed radio reports have claimed the gunman has demanded to speak to Prime Minister Tony Abbott. 05:57 GMT - 'Criminal act' - The Australian on its website is reporting that the country's highest Muslim office holder, Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, says he and the Australian National Imams Councils (ANIC) are devastated by the situation. "The Grand Mufti and the Australian National Imam Council condemn this criminal act unequivocally and reiterate that such actions are denounced in part and in whole in Islam," Professor Mohamed said in a statement. "We along (with) the wide(r) Australian society await the results of the investigation about the identity of the perpetrators and their underlying motivations behind the criminal act." - Siege condemned - 05:46 GMT - Hotline - Police say people can also contact the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00 05:40 GMT - Information plea - NSW police are tweeting that anyone with any information about the siege should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 05:31 GMT - Opera closes - The Sydney Opera House is announcing that all performances tonight have been cancelled because of the hostage situation. 05:29 GMT - Security committee - ABC News is reporting the the cabinet security committee is currently meeting via video link. Those involved include Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey in Canberra, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister David Johnston who are in Papua New Guinea, it says. Australian Federal Police chief Andrew Colvin and Justice Minister Michael Keenan are en route back from Papua New Guinea to Australia, it adds. 05:25 GMT - Safety priority - "Our priority is the safety of the people in the cafe and the safety of the people of NSW," says Burn. 05:21 GMT - Motivations - Deputy Commissioner Burn: "Negotiators remain on scene. Investigators are trying to work out the offender's motivations." 05:19 GMT - Police confirmation - Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn: "I can confirm that three people have emerged from the location." "I can't speculate on how many more people remain in the cafe." 05:17 GMT - Three escape cafe - Three people have run out of the cafe. The hostages appeared to come out of a side door of the cafe that was being watched by heavily armed police, almost six hours after the standoff began. "Three people have now emerged from the location in Martin Place. The first thing we will do is make sure they are OK," a police spokesman said. "We will work with these people to figure out more information. We do not have information to suggest that anyone is harmed at this stage." - Three run from cafe - 03:42 GMT - Indian PM - Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi tweets:"The incident in Sydney is disturbing. Such acts are inhuman & deeply unfortunate. I pray for everyone's safety." 03:37 GMT - Hostage Call - Sydney talk radio station 2GB is tweeting confirmation Ray Hadley, a staff member, did receive a phone call from a hostage: "To clarify, Ray Hadley was contacted by the hostage, the call was taken off air and then confirmed by the Police Commissioner." 03:35 GMT - Banks closed - Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group say they have shut their branches in the Central Business District (CBD) 03:29 GMT - Police number - Police are asking people to call 1800 227 228 for information on the incident and not the 000 emergency services line or the Police Assistance Line 03:26 GMT - New Zealand PM - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key tweets: "I’ve contacted Prime Minister to let him know our thoughts are with the people of Australia today." 03:15 GMT - Suspect devices - Scipione says the police have received a number of calls about suspect devices around the central business district, but "everything has proven negative so far". 03:13 GMT - Trained officers - "There are well-trained officers on the job who I'm sure will bring this to a peaceful resolution," says the commissioner. 03:08 GMT - Huge police operation - "There are hundreds of officers involved in that very small tight location right now. But again if need be we will escalate that and if need be we'll take it out to many, many more," Scipione says. He adds that authorities are looking into the flag that was held up against the window of the cafe. "We're trying to work out what it stands for but at this stage it's probably best that I don't take that any further. We're working with or partner agencies to better determine what it is we're dealing with there." - Police commissioner speaks - 03:05 GMT - 'Difficult day' - "This is a difficult day for everyone that is involved in this particular operation," Scipione says. "I can confirm for you that we have an armed defender in premises holding an undisclosed number of hostages in the city. "We are at this stage continuing to secure and make sure that we are doing all we can to bring this to a peaceful outcome. We want to matter resolved peacefully and we will do all we need to do to ensure that. "We certainly have tight restriction and tight controls around that location and we will work as long as we need to to bring this to an outcome. The officers there are trained and professional." 03:04 GMT - No contact yet - Commissioner Scipione says police "haven't had contact with the armed offender at this stage." 03:00 GMT - Armed man - Police say the Sydney siege involves one armed man and an undisclosed number of hostages 02:58 GMT - Hostage numbers - The Australian newspaper says there could be more people in the cafe than was first reported. Lindt Australia CEO Steve Loane has told the newspaper that there are up to 40 or 50 customers and employees in the cafe. 02:51 GMT - Hostage phone call - Sydney talk radio station 2GB is saying that Ray Hadley, a staff member, has received a phone call from someone claiming to be one of the hostages. He said the man had given him instructions and then Hadley went off air to talk to the apparent hostage. 02:47 GMT - 'Avoid CBD' - New South Wales police are warning people to "avoid the Sydney CBD -- roads are still closed due to police operation at Martin Place. More roads may be closed with little notice." 02:36 GMT - Police conference - ABC News reports that NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione is due to hold a media briefing shortly 02:28 GMT - Courts closed - Justice NSW @NSWJustice is tweeting that all law courts in the central business district are closed for the day 02:21 GMT - White House - A White House official says Lisa Monaco, the president's top counter-terrorism advisor, has spoken to Obama about events in Sydney 02:19 GMT - Canadian thoughts - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is tweeting "Canada's thoughts and prayers are with our Australian friends" 02:11 GMT - Obama briefed - Colleagues in Washington are reporting that President Barack Obama has been briefed on the unfolding hostage situation 01:57 GMT - PM Abbott speaks - "Australia is a peaceful open and generous society and nothing will change here," says Abbott. "The ordinary business of government must go on and it will go on," he adds. 01:55 GMT - Unanswered questions - Prime Minister Tony Abbott is speaking to the media, saying: "We don't yet know the motivation of the perpetrator, we don't know whether this is politically motivated." 01:48 GMT - Police urge calm - More from the NSW Police website: "Some nearby offices have been evacuated as a precaution. Anyone else in the area encompassing Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place is directed to remain indoors and away from open windows. Anyone in the vicinity but outside that area is free to leave their buildings. "Police urge members of the public to remain calm and note that an appropriate police presence is in place. "Police urge the media to be responsible in their reporting. Speculation can cause unnecessary alarm. We will attempt to keep you updated and police will release more information when it has been confirmed." 01:43 GMT - Evacuation - ABC news is tweeting that an unknown number of people are trapped in the building above the cafe where the hostages are being held. Police are evacuating those above the cafe -- including a baby -- by ladder. ABC Local Radio reporter John Donigan says: "Police search and rescue are evacuating people out windows and down ladders in the building that the hostages are being held in." 01:35 GMT - 'Armed incident' - NSW Police comment on their website: "Police are dealing with an armed incident and specialist officers are attempting to make contact with those inside a cafe." - High alert - 01:33 GMT - Jihadist fear - Australia has been on high alert after the government raised concerns that citizens who have fought alongside jihadists in Iraq and Syria could return home radicalised and capable of carrying out attacks. 01:27 GMT - Transport impact - Transport in the heart of Sydney has been impacted, with trains not stopping at Martin Place and buses operating in the area have been diverted, causing gridlock on other roads in the city. Sydney police are saying on Twitter: “Buses that normally travel across the Sydney Harbour Bridge are terminating at North Sydney Railway Station.” Australian airline Qantas tweets: “All Qantas flights are diverting around Sydney CBD but are operating as per schedule at this stage “ 01:19 GMT - National security meeting - A national security meeting has been called by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. "This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but all Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well-trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner," he said. - PM reassures Australians - 01:15 GMT - Muslim leaders - The president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, Samier Dandan, has told ABC that Australian Muslim leaders are meeting online now to see if the community can help with the unfolding crisis. Dandan says it is not known who is behind the siege and whether there are any links to the Australian Muslim community. "But regardless we have a hostage situation. Whether he is someone who belongs to the Australian Muslim community or not, we are still waiting for information to be provided by police and based on that if there's something the Muslim community can do or assist, we are there." 01:12 GMT - Opera house - An "incident" at the nearby Sydney Opera House has also been reported, although police will not say whether it is related to the ongoing siege. New South Wales police spokeswoman has told AFP: "The police are responding to an incident at the Opera House," adding that no further details were available. Reports say the Opera House had been evacuated. 01:07 GMT - 'Shocking and chilling' - A newsroom of the Australian TV station Channel Seven is opposite the cafe. Patrick Byrne, a producer, says staff watched the situation unfold. "We raced to the window and saw the shocking and chilling sight of people putting their hands up against the panes of glass at the cafe," he tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "This was just extraordinary." 01:00 GMT - WELCOME TO AFP’S LIVE REPORT on the hostage crisis in Sydney, Australia. An unconfirmed number of people are being held in a cafe in the heart of the government and business district of Sydney. Witnesses on the scene report that an Islamic flag has been displayed in a window of the Lindt cafe in Martin Place, which has been cleared of people and surrounded by armed police. Reports say as many as 20 people could be in the cafe and that there are at least two gunmen, although police have not confirmed this. Witnesses have also reported hearing loud bangs that sounded like gun shots. We will continue to bring you live updates as the situation unfolds.