Siege gunman is ‘sheik’ on bail

Sydney remains in the grip of terror tonight. Up to 15 hostages are being held at gun point in the heart of the city.

SELF-styled sheik and Islamic State preacher Man Haron Monis, who was on bail for accessory to murder, is the gunman who was last night holding 15 terrified hostages in Sydney's Lindt cafe.

The fate of those people was still hanging in the balance after a day of unprecedented horror in Sydney's heart, with the first extremist attack on NSW soil.

Sheik Man Haron Monis. Source: News Corp Australia

The 49-year-old, originally from Iran who now lives in southwest Sydney, had previously sent offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers, calling them murderers, and earlier this year was charged with sexual assault.

Armed with a shotgun and a flag linked to extremist groups, the radical Islamic preacher burst into the cafe at 9.45am, taking up to 20 hostages. Just five had escaped by midnight.

As workers in nearby buildings were evacuated or ordered away from windows and heavily armed police moved into Martin Place, the hostages were used as human shields for Monis, forced to stand at the window and hold the Islamic flag bearing the words: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger".

Sheik Man Haron Monis leaves Downing Centre Court after pleading guilty to sending offensive letters to families of dead Diggers. Source: News Limited

In a chilling phone call to The Daily Telegraph from inside the cafe, one hostage said the gunman was standing beside her — listening via speaker phone — as she referred to him as "The Brother". She said at least one fellow hostage is pregnant.

Muslim leaders yesterday spoke out to condemn the attack.

Monis, who arrived in Australia as a refugee in 1996, has been charged with being an accessory before and after the fact to the murder of his ex-wife, allegedly stabbed and set alight in a stairwell of her Sydney apartment complex last year.

Sheik Man Haron Monis. Source: News Corp Australia

His current partner was charged with murder. The couple was given bail in Penrith Local Court, with Magistrate Darryl Pearce saying the Crown's case was weak. Then in March this year Monis was charged with sexually and indecently assaulting a young woman for "spiritual healing" in 2002.

One theory being investigated yesterday was the Lindt cafe was not his primary target and he rushed in there after being spooked by members of the public who alerted police to his behaviour.

He was known to national security agencies, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

The hostages who fled the cafe yesterday were helping police, with one — a barista — taken to hospital to be treated for an existing medical condition. He later left in an unmarked police car with a jacket over his head.

Originally published as Siege gunman is 'sheik' on bail

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Siege gunman is ‘sheik’ on bail

Dengan url

http://pesbukeronline.blogspot.com/2014/12/siege-gunman-is-asheika-on-bail.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Siege gunman is ‘sheik’ on bail

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Siege gunman is ‘sheik’ on bail

sebagai sumbernya