A gunman holding hostages in a Sydney cafe is said to be demanding an ISIS flag and a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The reported demands emerged after five hostages managed to flee the building, leaving an unknown number of people still trapped inside.
The gunman’s requests were made through hostages who contacted several media organizations, CNN affiliate Sky News Australia reported. Police said they were aware of the reports but declined to confirm what demands had been made.
Amid the crisis, hundreds of police officers, some of them armed with sniper rifles, shut down a usually bustling area in Australia’s most populous city.
Chilling images from local media showed people, believed to be hostages, with their hands pressed against the glass of the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Sydney’s central business district.
Footage showed them holding up a black flag with Arabic writing on it that reads: “There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God.” That flag was different from the one used by the terrorist group ISIS.
‘Profoundly shocking’
After hours of tension and uncertainty, three people were seen running out of the cafe and into a group of police officers.
“They are now out of the building and they are now with police,” said New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn, declining to give details about whether they escaped or were let go. She said police negotiators are in touch with a hostage taker.
After the first group’s dash to safety, video from CNN affiliate Seven Network showed two women rushing out of the cafe and along the street to the waiting police officers.
One of the network’s correspondents, Chris Reason, was allowed to return to the broadcaster’s evacuated offices near the cafe. He said he could see the gunman pacing past the windows, describing him as unshaven, wearing a white shirt and black cap and carrying a shotgun.
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