Gunmen hold dozens hostage at Sydney cafe

One or more gunmen were holding dozens of hostages inside a Lindt cafe in central Sydney on Monday. TV images revealed some of the hostages inside being forced to hold up a black flag similar to that of the "Islamic State" terror militia.

Steve Loane, Lindt Australia's chief executive, said there were "probably 30 customers" inside the cafe, along with 10 staff members.

Dozens of heavily armed police surrounded the cafe in Martin Place, a central business district that is home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the state premier's office and two of Australia's largest banks. The New South Wales state parliament is only a few blocks away.

"Police are dealing with an armed incident and specialist officers are attempting to make contact with those inside a cafe," New South Wales Police said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it was unclear if the incident was politically motivated.

"We don't yet know if this is politically motivated, although there are some indications that it might be," Abbott told reporters in Canberra. "This is a very disturbing incident. I can understand the concerns and anxieties of the Australian people."

Abbott has convened Australia's National Security Committee for emergency briefings on the situation.

Police have cordoned off the area, evacuated nearby offices and told the public to stay clear. A police spokeswoman said no injuries had been reported as a result of the incident.

The United States has evacuated its Sydney consulate, which lies near the cafe, as a precaution.

Islamic scholar Zain Ali of the University of Auckland says a likely translation of the message on the black flag is "there is no deity of worship except God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God," according to the Associated Press.

The world-famous Sydney Opera House was evacuated earlier Monday after a suspicious package was discovered. It is unclear if the discovery of the package is related to the cafe hostage incident.

Australia recently launched nationwide counterterrorism raids against suspected radical Islamist sympathizers, resulting in numerous arrests in Sydney. Australian warplanes are also participating in combat missions against the "Islamic State" terror group in Syria and Iraq.

bw/cmk (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)