Only weeks after Australia broke up a plan by ISIS to publicly behead a member of public, reports suggest 2 gunmen are holding 13 hostages at a Lindt coffee-shop in Sydney, Australia. The terrorists have shown a black jihadist flag – which is not an IS flag – and has paraded the hostages at the windows. The coffee shop is directly across the street from the Reserve Bank of Australia.
- 943 am local, woman spots a man with a blue bag carrying a gun going into the Lindt coffee shop in Syndey.
- 13 hostages held
- Sydney Airspace NOT closed – flightsdiverted
- *SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE EVACUATED: BBC
Sydney Opera House evacuated after police found suspicious package. Ongoing hostage situation in Lindt Cafe Martin Pl http://ift.tt/1yRGkBJ
— Lochie White (@LochieWhite) December 15, 2014
* * *
Hostages were being held inside a central Sydney cafe where a black flag with white Arabic writing could be seen in the window, local television showed on Monday, raising fears of an attack linked to Islamic militants.
Australia, which is backing the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, is on high alert for attacks by radicalized Muslims or by home-grown fighters returning from fighting in the Middle East.
Part of Martin Place, home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, commercial banks and close to the New South Wales (NSW) state parliament, was closed off by armed police.
Live television footage showed patrons inside a cafe standing with their hands pressed against the windows. A black and white flag similar to those used by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria was also visible.
NSW Police tweeted: "A police operation is underway in Martin Place, Sydney's CBD. People are advised to avoid the area."
Dozens of police including a SWAT team were setting up and a couple of hundred people were being held back by cordons.
* * *
Live Feed (via 7News)
Images:
???? ????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ????. ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ????. http://ift.tt/1sspylt
— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) December 14, 2014
This is the flag being used at the #MartinPlace siege. It's a jihadist flag, but it's not the IS flag. http://ift.tt/1sspvGm
— Merry Christodoulou (@tim_chr) December 14, 2014
SYDNEY SIEGE: Gunman forces hostages to hold up ISIS flag in window http://t.co/9K3XXEiSFa http://ift.tt/1sspvWA
— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) December 14, 2014
Australia Siege in central Sydney – live feed http://t.co/GqEGERjMui http://ift.tt/1sspvWC
— ForexLive (@ForexLive) December 14, 2014
BREAKING UPDATE: A gunman reportedly holding up to 20 hostages in cafe in downtown #Sydney ISIS flag visible. http://ift.tt/1sspvWE
— ???s (@H0XH4) December 14, 2014
UPDATE: Heavy SWAT and @NSWPolice presence at Martin Place, as siege at the Lindt Café continues. #9News http://ift.tt/1qOTNYi
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 14, 2014
Terrifying photo of hostages in Martin Place in Sydney, being held by men waving an ISIS flag http://ift.tt/1wxbTgR
— Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) December 14, 2014
LIVE: Hostages held in siege in #Sydney , #Australia – #ISIS http://t.co/aEZiCyPLjK http://ift.tt/12Q8LC4
— Hotpage Business (@HotpageBusiness) December 15, 2014
HAPPENING NOW: Flights Scramble To Avoid #Sydney Airspace #martinplace @JakeSturmer http://t.co/wTO5RzOWe0 http://ift.tt/1w7I4EN
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 15, 2014
BREAKING PHOTO: Gunmen take hostages at Sydney cafe, wave Islamic flag http://t.co/zmSo3ARDVs http://ift.tt/1sspvWI
— PzFeed Top News (@PzFeed) December 15, 2014
At least 20 are believed to have returned to Australia and pose a security risk, the head of the national spy agency said last week.
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1yREkJN Tyler Durden