Monitoring Desk: Sydney: The Australian Prime Minister in his message to nation has asked people not be become panic and do their business as usual. There are conflicting report about the number of hostages because Australian police believe they are 40 while media report hostages are around 13 to 15.
According to details ISIS backed terrorists have made 30 persons hostages inside a coffee shop in Lindt. However police and the government is keeping quite over this issue and total number of terrorists inside the cafe is still unknown.
A senior Lindt Australia official while talking to international media said that that 10 staff and up to 30 customers are inside the Lindt Chocolate Café in Martin Place.
According to media 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.
RT Russia reports that live TV footage showed people standing inside a café with their hands pressed against the windows.
The crowd in the Sydney CBD desperately hoping for positive news on Martin Place siege @9NewsSydpic.twitter.com/SToXlfkLpY
— Renae Henry (@renaehenry9) December 15, 2014
Police Commissioner of the city believes that hostages will be released soon while media believes that it can be a long drama. Hundreds of people are standing outside the cafe behind the crime line strip.
Nine News Sydney contacted Grand Mufti of Australia for comments who said:
UPDATE: The Grand Mufti of Australia speaks on CBD #siege saying “such actions are denounced in part and in whole by Islam.” #9News
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 15, 2014
