Motivation behind Australia hostage situation unknown
Posted December 14, 2014 7:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the motivation behind a hostage situation in the heart of Sydney’s business and banking district is not yet know.
“We don’t yet know the motivation of the perpetrator,” he said. “We don’t know whether this is politically motivated although obviously there are some indications that there could be.”
Speaking to the country, Abbott said he could understand the concerns and anxieties Australians are feeling and added that his thoughts and prayers go out to those involved.
“This is a very disturbing incident,” he said. “I can think of almost nothing more distressing, more terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation.”
At least a dozen people were taken hostage by at least one armed suspect at a Lindt Chocolate Cafe.
According to Seven News Network in Sydney, a flag with Arabic writing was then hung in the window.
Six hours after the situation began, three people were seen running out a fire exit of the building. There has been no word on if the three people were hostages or if they were escaping from another part of the building.
Two people were seen on live video footage bolting out of the door past heavily armed police and then disappearing around a corner.
At a press conference, Australian police commissioner Andrew Scipione said police had not made contact with the armed suspect yet but that the situation is believed to “well contained.”
Scipione said they are not ruling out that the hostage situation may be a terrorist attack but they are continuing their investigation into the situation.
“At this stage it’s certainly not something we could rule out,” he said. “We’re still determining what it is that may well be the motivation and at this stage we are still not yet in a position to determine where the individual is from.”
Police evacuated buildings surrounding the cafe and streets in the area were shut down.
So far there have been no reports of injuries.
Scipione added that he hopes the situation can be resolved peacefully.
“We will work as long as we need to to bring this to an outcome,” he said. “The officers that are there are well trained and professional. They know what they’re doing, they’ve trained for this, and I’m sure that they will get through and this will be an outcome that will be positive.”
Earlier Abbott said the National Security Committee of Cabinet had convened for briefings on the situation.
“This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but all Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner,” Abbott said in the statement.
Television footage shot through the cafe’s windows showed several people with their arms in the air and hands pressed against the glass.
New South Whales Police tweeted: “A police operation is underway in Martin Place, Sydney’s CBD. People are advised to avoid the area.”
Dozens of police including, a SWAT team, were set up surrounding the cafe.
The building where the cafe is located is also home to the state premier’s office, the Reserve Bank of Australia, and the headquarters of two of the nation’s largest banks. The state parliament house is a few blocks away.
The Sydney Opera House was also evacuated for several hours as a precaution.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to Twitter to offer his thoughts to the people of Australia.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird tweeted late Sunday that he was in touch with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop.
“We continue to monitor the situation in Sydney closely,” Baird tweeted.
The situation in Australia came nearly three months after Harper and Baird were at the centre of a crisis that gripped Ottawa, where a lone gunman killed a Canadian soldier and then stormed the Parliament Buildings before being gunned down by security.
A spokesman for Baird said late Sunday that the government is in close contact with its diplomatic posts in Australia.
“We urge all Canadians in Sydney to use extra precaution and limit their movements as authorities handle this situation,” Rick Roth said in an emailed statement.
“We have offered Australia any assistance Canada can provide.”
Canada has a consulate in Sydney that is roughly one kilometre from where the cafe involved, but Baird’s office said all staff at the mission are safe and accounted for.
With files from The Canadian Press
