An Iran-born cleric took away 30 people hostage and made several demands sending shockwave across the Australia, remarking the first terrorist attack in Australia. After a 16-hour battle and hostage crisis in the heart of Sydney, police stormed into the Lindt Chocolate Cafe to rescue the kidnapped people by the terrorist. Police and rescue team with all efforts attacked the cafe and raged firing gunshots and flashing grenades which made several panicked hostages to run out quickly raising their hands as they advanced armed policemen.

Police officers then told the Sydney Morning Herald that the siege was over. The chilling incident took place in Sydney’s central business district and barely 400 meters from the Indian Consulate, which was promptly evacuated. Also located in the vicinity are the offices of India Tourism, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and New India Insurance. . The anxious hostages were earlier seen standing with their hands raised at the expansive French windows of Lindt Chocolate Cafe at Martin Place. A black and white apparently jihadi flag was held up in one window. Political leaders across the nation have condemned this inhuman terrorist attack in Australia. Prime Minister of India was the first person to condemn the incident sharing his close relations with Australia stating “Such acts are inhuman and deeply unfortunate. I pray for everyone’s safety”, who also visited Australia in the month of November. The police operation followed several hours of tense suspense leaving all people across the globe to be glued to the TV to know about the good news and safety news of their beloved ones.

Government: 2 Indians Held In Sydney Cafe Are Safe

Two Indians have been proclaimed safe and have been rescued from the Sydney Cafe siege. Late on Monday night, the police stormed the Lindt Chocolate Cafe at Martin’s Place and freed the hostages; Viswakanth Ankireddy, an Infosys employee, was seen in video footage running out of the cafe to safety along with other hostages. The Indian government has now confirmed that there was another Indian, a man from Bengal, among the hostages and that he, too, is safe. One of the hostages Ankireddy Vishwakant, an employee of software major Infosys who hailed from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and was recently granted Australian citizenship. “Thank God! This is a big relief for us,” said Ankireddy’s father Ishwar Reddy at his house in Guntur town, about 300 km from Hyderabad. Media reports identified the second Indian as Pushpendu Ghosh.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted:

“We were in constant touch with our mission in Sydney and the family of Shri Reddy. The PM was monitoring the situation throughout. Another Indian hostage Shri Pushpendu Ghosh is also safe.”

 

 

Victims killed in Sydney Hostage Siege Identified

Two hostages who have been killed in the 17-hour-long hostage drama at a cafeteria in Sydney have been identified as the manager of the Lindt Chocolate cafe and a lawyer. The 38-year-old lawyer, Katrina Dawson, was a mother of three young children who became the victim of the siege. She was a barrister at Selbourne Chambers and was married to Paul Smith, a partner at Mallesons. Dawson studied law at Sydney University, where she lived at the women’s college as a student.  Australians took to microblogging site to let people who may become victims of religious slurs and bigotry know that entire nation will stand beside them. By using the #illridewithyou people communicated, letting others know that they are travelling on a particular train route and that those who may feel unsafe could count on them. Some offered to sit next to those who may be targeted while others offered car rides. Online the hashtag was started by Tessa Kum an editor, writer and a resident of Sydney. She was touched deeply by a post on social media and decided to lend her support to let Australians of all religions. She considers #illridewithyou a “small act” that in someway gives hope to the Australian Muslims.

The man who held hostage was identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee and self-styled sheikh who was facing multiple charges of sexual assault. Monis 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. Stay tuned to us for more updates.