BREAKING NEWS & ON-GOING EVENT: Islamist Militants Take Hostages In Sydney Cafe, Display Black Jihadist Flag

A screenshot from live feed by Channel 7

A police operation is underway at a café in central Sydney, where up to 40 hostages are being held by unknown attackers and a black jihadist flag can be seen. It comes amid Australia’s backing of the US-led operation against the Islamic State.

Media report claim a senior Lindt Australia official said that 10 staff and up to 30 customers could be held inside the Lindt Chocolate Café in Martin Place. There were “probably 30 customers” at the time of the attack, Sky Business quoted Lindt Australia Chief Executive Steve Loane as saying. There was no immediate confirmation of the exact number of assailants. 

Thousands of workers have been evacuated from the buildings in Martin Place and have been directed to another area

The area surrounding the cafe has been sealed off by armed police, and Australian authorities have cleared airspace over central Sydney to make way for police helicopters.

Media reports said that one of the hostages managed to post a tweet, in which he warned that police should be “cautious.”

“A police operation is underway in Martin Place, Sydney’s CBD. People are advised to avoid the area,” New South Wales (NSW) police tweeted.

Meanwhile, live TV footage showed people standing inside a café with their hands pressed against the windows. At least one of the attackers was caught on camera wearing a traditional Islamic cap.

The hostages were forced to hold a black flag with an Arabic inscription, prompting fears that ruthless Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants were behind the attack. 

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

Reports on the ground suggest that young women being held hostage in the cafe are being used as a shield, while an attacker is seen pacing around the room.

Following news that police were trying to establish contact with the hostage-takers, reports of their demands emerged on local media. 

A captor reportedly demanded to speak with Prime Minister Tony Abbott live on the radio, Australian radio host of 2GB morning show, Ray Hadley, has said. Hadley added that hostages inside the cafe contacted him. He declined airing their conversation for the safety of those inside the building.

Another report claimed that the gunmen have explosive suicide belts.

Meanwhile, NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione said there was no direct contact with the captor.

Dozens of police, including a SWAT team, were dispatched to the scene, and a couple hundred people were held back by cordons amid the evacuation of nearby buildings.

A cafe employee whose shift was about to start told RT that when he got to work, the doors were already locked and he saw a lot of hostages inside.

“I walked up to the door and then everyone was sitting down and the doors were locked. There was one guy walking around with a hat and a beard. I saw my manager there...There were a lot of people in there. Everyone inside put their arms against the windows.”

He added that before police got to the scene, people thought an armed robbery was taking place.

The flag – which appeared different from the one typically used by ISIS – was identified as the shahada, or the statement of Islamic faith. The shahada itself only contains religious inscription “There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of the God.” It is not directly connected to extremism, however, its variations have been used by jihadi groups over the years.

The gunmen’s attack, which took place in Sydney’s central business district, forced nearby buildings in Martin Place – including the Reserve Bank of Australia – to go on lockdown.

The US has evacuated its Sydney consulate, located close to the Lindt cafe, Reuters quoted a spokeswoman as saying.