- Two women and three men have fled the Lindt cafe in Sydney's Martin Place
- A male employee and two male customers fled shortly before 3.45pm via a fire exit
- Two young female employees, including barista Elly Chen, ran out another door just before 5pm
- The gunman became 'extremely agitated' after the five escaped, a witness said
- The hostages have been held captive since an armed man walked into the cafe at 9.45am
- Around 10 people, including staff and customers, are still being held hostage
- On Monday morning, crying women were forced to hold a black Shahada flag up in the window
- Heavily armed police clad in black have sealed off the area surrounding the cafe
- Siege began just hours after terror suspect, 25, was arrested in counter-terrorism raids
Fear
etched into their faces, two young female employees have fled a central
Sydney cafe more than seven hours after a terrorist armed with a gun
took more than a dozen people hostage and forced crying women to hold a
black Islamic flag up to the window.
A
total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, have now escaped
the Lindt cafe in Martin Place an hour after a male employee and two
male customers scrambled from a fire exit and sheltered behind heavily
armed police officers shortly before 3.45pm on Monday.
It
is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being
released by their captor. One former male hostage has been taken to
nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and is being
treated for a pre-existing condition.
The gunman flew into a rage when he realised some of his captives had escaped.
'The
gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at
remaining hostages,' tweeted journalist Chris Reason, who has a direct
line of sight into the cafe from the Seven Network newsroom directly
opposite and inside the police cordon.
The
light inside the building has gone off tonight, Mr Reason said, but
police would not reveal whether it was a law enforcement or
hostage-taker tactic.
Police negotiators have learned the name of the man and have made contact.
This evening, Mr Reason said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window.
'From
inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained,
strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted. Food and water was also being
delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.
Seven
Network staff have counted around 15 hostages in the cafe, he said,
rather than the 50 reported by Lindt Australia CEO Steve Loane earlier
on Monday.
Daily
Mail Australia understands a 25-year-old female fashion industry worker
and two female baristas aged in their 30s are among that number.
As
scores of heavily armed police, clad in black, remained on guard in
Martin Place, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione tonight said police
would do whatever it takes for the situation to be peacefully
resolved.
On
Monday morning, witnesses described how a man wearing a headband
covered in Arabic walked into the cafe around 9:30am and produced a
shotgun from a blue bag.
Shortly
afterwards, as police surged into the city, hostages were seen with
their hands pressed against the windows holding up the Islamic Shahada
flag. It is an emblem of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is
fighting the Assad government in Syria.
The
hostage taker is believed to have demanded a flag of the Islamic State
terror group in Iraq and Syria and to talk to Prime Minister Tony
Abbott.
A young female employee came running out of the Lindt cafe shortly before 5pm and was sheltered by waiting police
Another distraught female worker, cafe barista Elly Chen, bolted from the shop before taking cover with police
A total of five hostages have now escaped Lindt cafe - it's believed they escaped and were not released
One of the young female employees was visibly upset as she grabbed hold of armed police
'Omg Elly!! So glad you're OK': Ms Chen, pictured, was the fifth hostage, scrambling from the cafe with her hands in the air
Freedom: Ms Chen was helped to a cover letter immediately after he burst from the Lindt Cafe store
Sydney
was eerily quiet on Monday night. Office buildings went into lockdown
earlier this morning, Martin Place train station - a central
thoroughfare for workers - was shuttered. Events at the Opera House,
such as a performance of the Nutcracker, were cancelled as the city icon
was evacuated.
Hundreds
of heavily armed police, operating under unprecedented Task Force
Pioneer counter-terrorism protocols, were scouring the city, completely
isolating the darkened cafe.
In
an evening press conference, state Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione
sent a message of support directly to those imprisoned in the chocolate
cafe, at the whims of an unknown quantity.
'Rest
assured, we are doing all we can to set you free,' he said, boasting
that the state has the 'best police negotiators in the country' and that
the safety of hostages was authorities' 'number one priority'.
Police believe all hostages remain uninjured. '[And] if that's true, for that we're grateful,' Commissioner Scipione said.
Detectives have refused to confirm what weapons the militant is carrying, or even if the militant is accompanied by allies.
Queensland's
police commissioner Ian Stewart said earlier on Monday that he had
information an improvised explosive device may be involved, but state
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has tonight refused to confirm
that.
NSW
Premier Mike Baird warned workers in the Central Business District that
Martin Place and surrounding areas would remain an exclusion zone into
Tuesday.
'If you work in this exclusion zone, I'd ask you to work from home tomorrow morning,' a resolute Mr Baird told reporters.
Monday's
crisis began just hours after a 25-year-old suspect was arrested in a
terror raid in Beecroft, a leafy suburb in Sydney's north-west, but
police denied a link between the two events.
Two terrified men were spotted fleeing the Lindt cafe in Martin Place shortly before 3.45pm
Two men, believed to be customers, ran around a corner and hid behind heavily armed police after six hours inside the cafe
A male employee wearing an apron frantically ran out of a side fire exit and hid behind police
BThe three men are believed to have escaped from the cafe after six hours
Many remain: Around 10 hostages are thought to remain inside the Lindt chocolate cafe
On
Monday morning, columnist Chris Kenny, who was in the shop about 20
minutes before the siege began, said he understood the automatic glass
sliding doors had been disabled after the gunman stormed the store.
'I
did speak to a couple of people who saw a bit more of this unfold than I
did,' he said. 'One woman said she tried to go into the shop just after
I came out with my takeaway coffee but the doors wouldn't open.
'So
obviously whoever is doing this has disabled the automatic glass
sliding doors to stop anyone else going in and she said immediately she
could see there was a weapon.
'The woman was quite frantic but very clear what she was telling (the police).
'I know the faces of the people who are sitting there enjoying a morning coffee.'
2GB
radio host Ray Hadley said he had three tense telephone conversations
with one of the hostages inside the cafe and he could hear the gunman
giving demands.
The
hostage asked to be put to air live following the instructions of the
gunman. However, Hadley refused saying he didn't have the expertise to
deal with the situation.
'There are some people who are not well. They've been in there for five hours, they're distraught,' he said.
'I'm not in a position to comply with requests that have been made, I can't.
'The
media can't play a role in negotiating with people purporting to be
from Islamic State holding hostages in a cafe in Sydney. This is the job
of authorities to solve htis problem.
'They want us to say things that we simply can't say.'
Witnesses
described the chaotic scenes in the legal, business and media centre as
it was shut down and scores of heavily armed police surrounded the
Lindt building.
All of the chocolate chain's stores around Sydney were closed following the incident, in an act of camaraderie.
Dozens of people
are being held hostage by a terrorist who stormed into a central Sydney
cafe with a gun and forced crying women to hold a black Islamic flag up
to the window
A man believed to be one of the hostage-takers was filmed wearing a black headband covered in Arabic inside the cafe
Terrified customers and employees were among those standing with their hands against the window at the Lindt cafe in Sydney
A hostage could be seen pressing their hands up against the window of the cafe
One blonde-haired hostage was pictured inside the cafe through the glass doors standing in the middle of the shop
Police kept their guns raised on the fire exit after an employee unexpectedly ran from the cafe
Police are stationed behind a ballistic shield with weapons drawn outside the fire door where a hostage escaped from
Police officers were spotted climbing through the first floor window above the Lindt cafe to help evacuate those inside
Scores of police have surrounded the
cafe in Martin Place amid claims the terrorists are also armed with a
machete and may have explosives
Armed police have sealed off streets around the cafe and Martin Place station is shut
Police heavily armed with weapons have covering all corners of Martin Place
Thousands of workers have been evacuated from the buildings in Martin Place and have been directed to another area
People in the area encompassing
Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place
have been directed to remain indoors and away from open windows
Emergency services have shut down the area surrounding Martin Place as they continue the operation
A
Lindt cafe employee, who was due to start her shift just an hour after
the Sydney hostage drama unfolded, said she was 'shaking with fear' when
the gunman arrived.
Kathryn
Chee, a chocolatier at the cafe said she meant to turn up early for her
11am shift because the business had been so busy in the lead up to
Christmas.
'It
shakes me to the bone,' Ms Chee told the ABC. She said her colleagues
who are now hostages are 'people who I hold like another family'.
'It's good I'm not there but I wish I could be there for them. That could be me standing there.'
Ms
Chee said the young woman seen in footage holding an Islamic flag
pressed against the window had 'a look of sheer horror on her face'.
She says the woman is a thoughtful colleague who bakes treats for people's birthdays.
Ms Chee said the male hostage seen in the TV footage is a funny guy who jokes with the customers.
Police have handcuffed a man 200m from the cafe with reports an officer has hit foot on what appears to be a small black handgun
Hostages: People could be seen with their hands pressed against the window of the Lindt cafe in Sydney
Police have shut down Martin Place train station and office buildings in the area have been evacuated
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the incident as 'deeply concerning' but said police were well equipped to respond
Officials have also evacuated the Opera House after reports of a suspicious device
Other areas of Sydney are feeling a heavy police presence as the siege at Martin Place continues
Witnesses
have described the chaotic scenes in Martin Place as the area was shut
down and scores of police surrounded the building
The
Seven Network newsroom, which is in a building opposite the cafe, was
among the first to be evacuated, immediately followed by the nearby
Westpac building and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Surrounding
buildings soon followed or went into lockdown.
Even
the city's courts, including the venerable Downing Centre building,
were sealed for the day, with police quickly vacating the areas.
Rosemary
Healion, who works at Frederick Jordan Chambers, told Daily Mail
Australia on Monday morning that 'a couple hundred' of her colleagues
were inside at the time of the attack.
'My colleagues are still in there. They're trying to get them out now,' Ms Healion told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms
Healion said her office was on the ground floor, the same one as Lindt
and they had been pushed behind the office's reception area.
'I'm so so worried as you would be. I was about to walk into the cafe. I get coffee there all the time.'
Window
cleaner, David Wilson, managed to get a birds-eye-view of police
swarming into Martin Place as he and a colleague cleaned the windows of a
building across from Lindt.
'We
were looking around and there were cops running around and guns drawn.
Some people came out, they looked like just coffee drinkers and that was
about all we saw,' Mr Wilson said, adding that his colleague's first
response was to get out his phone and start filming.
Rodrigo
Neryt was arriving at Channel Seven for his first day of work
experience when he heard screaming out the front of the cafe.
'I
was at the corner when everything started. I saw people yelling and
screaming and two police cars arriving at the scene. I saw what looked
like a black ISIS flag and they were holding it up'.
Armed police evacuated office staff next to the Lindt cafe on Monday afternoon
Police helped direct employees who were in lockdown in a building near the cafe under siege
Police in white jumpsuits were helping people climb from the offices on the level above the Lindt cafe
Women help an elderly lady as they are evacuated by NSW Police from Martin Place
Three women were pictured rushing through Philip Street past armed police as they fled Martin Place
It is unclear how many people are
involved in the siege in a Lindt cafe in Martin Place but people could
be seen with their hands pressed against the windows (second window)
At least two gunmen are involved in the siege but dozens of armed police have sealed off the streets surrounding the site
WHAT IS THE SHAHADA FLAG?
Held
up to a window by terrified hostages, a black flag covered in white
Arabic was the first sign that the Martin Place siege could be linked to
extremist Islam.
Witnesses
initially believed that it was the standard of ISIS. However, close
examination revealed it was in fact the Shahada flag, bearing the words
'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'
It is used by the extremist group, Jabhat al Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria.
But
it has meaning for all Muslims, in that the Shahada is the Islamic
Creed, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which is recited by Muslims
when they pray.
The flag displayed at the Lindt cafe
John Edwards works across the road from the cafe on the ninth floor of 53 Martin Place.
He said every floor of the building had been cleared about 11.15am.
'We were evacuated out of the building from the basement,' Mr Edwards told Daily Mail Australia.
'All we were told by security was to get out.'
Lindt Australia issued a statement about the siege on its Facebook page.
'We
are deeply concerned over this serious incident and our thoughts and
prayers are with the staff and customers involved and all their friends
and families,' they said.
Premier Mike Baird said the public and police in Sydney were being tested by the events of the siege.
'But whatever the test, we will face it hear and we will remain a strong democratic civil society,' he said.
'I have full confidence in the police commissioner and the incredible work of the NSW Police Force.
'They
are the world's best. They have acted decisively. They are on top of
the situation. They are doing everything possible that has to be done.
We are incredibly lucky.'
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he had offered Mr Baird all possible Commonwealth support and assistance.
'The National Security Committee of Cabinet has also convened for briefings on the situation,' he said in a statement.
'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.'
The US President Barack Obama has been briefed on the unfolding situation in Sydney.
World
leaders, including UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Indian President
Narendra Modi have sent messages of support to the Australian people.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said all of Australia would be thinking of the hostages.
'There are many innocent people caught up in this horrifying incident,' he said.
'Australians
are shocked but we won't be shaken. At times like this its more
critical than ever that the Australian community stick together.
Earlier
this year, it was reported that Martin Place was the planned location
of a terror plot. It was alleged in September that Omarjan Azari, the
22-year-old Sydney man arrested on terrorism charges, was planning a
public beheading there.
The
alleged terror plot, mentioned in a conversation between now deceased
Australian terrorism recruiter in Syria, Mohammad Ali Barylei and Azari,
involved selecting a member of the public at random, beheading them and
then covering their body in a flag.
The
whole incident was going to be filmed, and then used as propaganda for
the Islamic State cause. Federal prosecutors said the alleged terror
plot was 'clearly designed to shock, horror and terrify the community'
Police
Prosecutor Michael Allnutt said that Azari had made a threat which
involved a 'random selection of persons to execute' during a telephone
conversation with Baryalei.
Azari was arrested on September 18 and charged with preparing for an act of terrorism.
He is due in court this week for a bail application.
Thousands of office workers have relocated from Martin Place to Sydney's Hyde Park
Patients from the nearby Sydney Hospital patients were also evacuated alongside office workers
Police are guarding the area in Hyde Park where people are congregating after evacuating
People evacuated from offices in Martin Place have been told to congregate in Hyde Park
Martin Place is one of Sydney's busiest streets and is at the centre of the CBD
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