Australian police stormed a cafe in Sydney's commercial district at past 2 a.m. Tuesday to end a hostage incident where a lone Islamist gunman had held at least 17 people for 16 hours. When the smoke cleared and guns fell silent, the gunman, identified as a self-styled Islamic cleric who had been given political asylum in Australia years earlier, was dead. 

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Unfortunately, two of the hostages were also killed, at least one of them said to have been shot by the gunman who carried a shotgun. 

Australian police have not released identification details of the hostages who had died, pending notification of their families. 

Self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis, who called himself sheik, was killed by police as soon as they were able to enter the cafe, afted throwing in flash bangs designed to daze and temporarily disorient anyone in close proximity. Live TV footage from the scene showed hostages rushing out from the cafe as more police officers in assault gear prepared to enter the building. 

Monis, aged 50, was an Iranian refugee who was given political asylum in Australia in 1996. He is mentioned in several police records, and well known to Australian media, as having been charged with at least 47 sexual assaults. He had also sent cruel harrassing letters to the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

His motives for the hostage-taking was not immediately clear, but investigators said he probably wanted to show solidarity with Islamic terrorists seeking to control Iraq and Syria and establish an Islamic state in the Middle East. Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier said Monday the hostage-taker was "claiming political motivation."

"This is a very disturbing incident," Abbott said Monday afternoon. "It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation."

Monis forced some of the hostages to hold up a black flag with Islamic writing against the window of the cafe as he was holding them at gunpoint. 

Sky news reported that a police officer had been wounded, although police authorities said he was not severely injured but may remain in hospital for some time. 

TagsSydney Hostage, Lindt Cafe