Two captives, hostage-taker dead as police end Sydney siege - The Globe and MailTwo captives, hostage-taker dead as police end Sydney siege - The Globe and Mail










Jump to main navigationJump to main content


Search:
News & Quotes
Jobs




News Search
News







by eluta.ca


Search Jobs at eluta.ca
Jobs











Login


Register





18 
Toronto





Subscribe
Help






 Home





 News






 Opinion




 Business




 Investing




 Sports




 Life




 Arts




 Technology




 Drive




 Video








National




Politics




British Columbia




Alberta




Toronto




World





Video







The China Diaries





Home»
News»
World











A woman is carried out by police from the Lindt Cafe, Martin Place following a hostage standoff on December 16, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)







A woman is carried out by police from the Lindt Cafe, Martin Place following a hostage standoff on December 16, 2014 in Sydney, Australia.(Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)



Two captives, hostage-taker dead as police end Sydney siege
Add to ...



TU THANH HA


Globe staff, Reuters and Associated Press

Published
Monday, Dec. 15 2014, 9:08 AM EST

Last updated
Monday, Dec. 15 2014, 6:49 PM EST









Comments





AA









Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney café and freed hostages being held at gunpoint in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which three people, including the hostage-taker, were killed and four were wounded.The suspect was identified as Man Haron Monis, 50, an Iranian refugee known for sending hate mail to the families of Australian soldiers killed overseas and facing several charges of sexual assault.Video: Watch raw footage of police storming the Sydney caféBrightcove playerStandoff in SydneyGallery: Images from the Sydney hostage standoffSocial media: Australians show solidarity and scorn for Muslims amid Sydney siegePolice said the other two people killed were a 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman.The hostage-taker operated alone and there were no bombs inside, New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said.Tactical officers stormed the Lindt Chocolat Cafe after hearing gunshots inside, Commissioner Scipione told reporters."They made the call because they believed at that time, if they didn't enter there would have been many more lives lost,” he said.He did not explain what triggered the shots, saying at one point that it was “an exchange of gunfire inside those premises.”There were 17 hostages inside, include the five who had escaped during the day, he said.One woman was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to her shoulder. Two other women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while a male police officer suffered a non-life threatening wound to his face from gunshot pellets.It was not immediately clear whether the dead and wounded hostages had been shot by the gun or caught in a crossfire."We need to actually find out what's happened here and what's happened inside that café,” Commissioner Scipione said.The assault started shortly after 2 a.m. local time on Tuesday. Explosions were heard and armed tactical officers dashed towards the building, live television broadcast in Australia showed.The officers, who wielded assault rifles and wore helmets with night-vision goggles, could be seen tossing what appeared to be stun grenades, setting off multiple bright flashes inside the café.A loud alarm bell could be heard as more explosions detonated.Some of the law-enforcement officers at the scene wore heavy protective outfits of bomb-disposal technicians.Two officers came out of the cafe carrying in their arms a woman in a blue blazer who looked distraught. The woman appeared to be one of three female hostages who earlier in the day had to record a video outlining the suspect’s demands.Other hostages ran out or were eventually wheeled out on gurneys.Man Haron Monis is shown in Sydney in 2009. (Sergio Dioniso/EPA)Mr. Monis, a self-styled sheik, had “a long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott saidHe was charged last year with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife who was stabbed and set alight in a Sydney apartment block.He was found guilty in 2012 of sending offensive and threatening letters to families of eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, as a protest against Australia’s involvement in the conflict, according to local media reports.Earlier this year, Mr. Monis, who describes himself as a “spiritual healer,” was charged with the indecent and sexual assault of a Sydney woman in 2002. Further charges were laid in October.Man Hanon Monis“I think he might consider that he’s got nothing to lose.” -lawyer Manny Conditsis on Man Haron MonisRead Tu Thanh Ha's profile of the Sydney hostage-taking suspect“This is a one-off random individual. It’s not a concerted terrorism event or act. It’s a damaged goods individual who’s done something outrageous,” his former lawyer, Manny Conditsis, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness.” Mr. Monis’s website shows graphic images of children that the website says were killed by U.S. and Australian airstrikes, as well as media coverage following Monis’s court appearances and statements addressed to the Muslim community and Mr. Abbott.Dozens of armed police surrounded the café after the siege began around 9:45 a.m. (5:45 p.m. (ET) on Sunday). The area is home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, commercial banks and close to the New South Wales state parliament.Three videos surfaced online purporting to be from hostages inside the café, but were later removed from YouTube. The people shown in the videos stated that the hostage-takers had planted bombs in the area, and were demanding to speak with the Prime Minister and be given an Islamic State flag. The authenticity of the videos could not be verified.Channel 10 news said it received a video in which a hostage inside the café had relayed the gunman’s demands. The station said police requested they not broadcast it, and Commissioner Scipione separately asked all media that might be contacted by the gunman to urge him instead to talk to police.Mr. Abbott, who has warned of militant plans to strike Australian targets, said there were indications the hostage-taking was politically motivated.“This is a very disturbing incident,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. “It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation.”Lindt issued a statement saying it was “profoundly saddened and deeply affected about the death of innocent people.”“We are devastated by the loss of their lives and that several others were wounded and had to experience such trauma,” said the statement from the Swiss company Lindt & Sprugli. “Our thoughts and feelings are with the victims and their families who have been through an incredible ordeal, and we want to pay tribute to their courage and bravery.”News footage showed hostages holding up a black and white flag displaying the shahada, a testament to the faith of Muslims. The flag has been popular among Sunni Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda.The shahada translates as “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger.” It is considered the first of Islam’s five pillars of faith, and is similar to the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity.With reports from Reuters, Associated Press and Globe staff


Follow Tu Thanh Ha on Twitter: @TuThanhHa








More Related to this Story




Gunman
The Sydney suspect: A self-styled sheik with an infamous past






Gallery
Images from the Sydney hostage situation






Video: Security forces storm Sydney café under siege, injured removed







Topics:


Australia

Islamic State

Sydney, New South Wales




Comments







AA













In the know





Life


Manspreading: The gender-focused battle for urban space










Life


I always strain my neck when I exercise. What gives?





















Most popular videos »











 Life


Video of B.C. woman freaking out over missed ferry goes viral








 News


Hillary Clinton does Putin impression in Winnipeg








 Report on Business


The cost of living for a very, very long time








 Life


Paddle boarder captures up-close encounter with pod of orca whales










 News


Obama delivers off-the-cuff zinger, wink to Republicans in State of the Union speech








 Life


Staging helps, but this Queen West penthouse still sold under asking








 Report on Business


Why BlackBerry CEO is calling for ‘App Neutrality’








 Technology


Got a new phone? Here's what to do with the old one










 News


Rinelle Harper speaks out on violence against aboriginal women








 Sports


Tom Brady on 'deflate-gate': I didn't alter the ball in any way








 Report on Business


The good and the bad for consumers after Bank of Canada’s rate cut








 News


Threats, weapon charges laid against man in chemicals case







◀
●
●
●
▶








Highlights









Report on Business


Vancouver project combines industrial and residential space in a single building











Report on Business


Don’t chase millennials just because everyone else is









More from The Globe and Mail








 Report on Business



Ember Resources’ shallow play is paying off











 Life


National mental illness report viewed as ‘solid start’


















Most popular







Following conflict-of-interest allegations, CBC bans on-air journalists from making paid appearances








Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the careful reformer, dies at 90








Public trust matters more than speaking fees








Why Russia and Poland are feuding over Auschwitz








Winnipeg mayor breaks down while responding to ‘most racist city’ label











More Top Stories








 Alberta


Doug Horner: Former cabinet minister, dodgeball champ, mean host











 Alberta


Alberta cannot just sit and wait for the next oil boom











 More Sports


Figure-skating duo Duhamel, Radford prepare for Canadian championships











 National


Following conflict-of-interest allegations, CBC bans on-air journalists from making paid appearances












 Globe Drive


In pictures: The new Canadian supercar











 Commentary


Davos diary: As new technologies emerge, what future do we want?











Video











Harper on Iraq: If Canadian troops are attacked by militants, they will 'kill them'














Paddle boarder captures up-close encounter with pod of orca whales














One hundred little robots do mesmerizing, choreographed dance














Why BlackBerry CEO is calling for ‘App Neutrality’











Photos










Party photos of the week: At the Toronto Film Critics Association gala, it was lights, camera, F-bombs














The search for Canada's national bird takes flight

















  
  
  
  
 connect with us 
 
  
  
  




Products




Globe Unlimited
Digital all access pass across devices.
subscribe






The Globe and Mail Newspaper
Newspaper delivered to your doorstep.
subscribe






Globe2Go
The digital replica of our newspaper.
subscribe






Globe eBooks
A collection of articles by the Globe.
subscribe





See all Globe Products



Advertise with us

GlobeLink.ca
Your number one partner for reaching Canada's Influential Achievers.
learn more



Or go directly to:
Newspaper
Magazine
Digital
Globe Alliance: extend your reach
Globe Edge: custom content
Classifieds

The Globe at your Workplace

Globe Unlimited group license 
Purchase ROB Top 1000 data
Data & research products
License content & financial data



Our Company

About us
Work at The Globe
Staff

Customer Service

Contact Us
FAQs
Customer Care website
Digital subscription services
Print subscription services
Change your delivery address
Vacation Stops

Advertising Privacy

AdChoices

Globe Recognition
Recognition card


Mobile Apps

News
Investing




NEWS APP


Available for download on the following devices
iPhone
iPad
Android
Blackberry






INVESTING APP


Available for download on the following devices
iPhone
Blackberry



Other Sections

Appointments
Art Store
Births & Announcements
Corrections
Classifieds
Classroom Edition
Deaths
Newspaper Ads
Real Estate
Special Reports
Site Map




Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer
Accessibility Policy
Community Guidelines
Globe sustainability
Editorial Code of Conduct



© Copyright 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.


444 Front St. W.,
Toronto, 
ON 
Canada 
M5V 2S9
Phillip Crawley, Publisher



























Add to Watchlist




Add to Watchlist
















We've run into a glitch. Please try again later.






We've run into a glitch. Please try again later.




































x
Customize your reading font

XS
S
M
L
XL



The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog


