Sydney cafe siege: 3 killed, 2 Indian nationals safe

 The Australian police said four people were injured in the incident.

An Iranian man has been identified responsible for holding several people hostage in a Sydney cafe on Monday, media reports said.

He has been identified as Man Haron Monis.

In a statement, the NSW Police said: "A critical incident investigation has been launched after three people died and four others were injured during a police operation in Sydney’s CBD this morning. About 2.10am (Tuesday 16 December), a confrontation occurred between police and a man who had taken a number of people hostage inside a café on Martin Place. Shots were fired during the confrontation. As a result, the 50-year-old man was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. Another man, aged 34, and a woman, aged 38, were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital."

"Two women have been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while a male police officer suffered a non-life threatening wound to his face from gunshot pellets and was taken to hospital. Another woman has been taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to her shoulder. A 35-year-old woman was taken to hospital as a precaution," it said.

The police said its operation has concluded and the investigations into entire incident will be overseen by the Professional Standards Command.

According to reports, the police stormed into the cafe to free the hostage after it was under siege for more than 17 hours.

TV footage showed terrified hostages running out of the cafe with their hands up on the air as police stormed into the cafe.

Reacting to the entire episode, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott tweeted: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two deceased hostages, the wounded and the other hostages. #sydneysiege."

Meanwhile, the Indian government confirmed that both Indian nationals who were held as hostage in the cafe are safe.

The Indian nationals were identified as Pushpendu Ghosh and Vishwakant Ankit Reddy.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: "The hostage crisis in Sydney is over. Vishwakant Ankit Reddy is safe. He is undergoing some medical check ups and will be back home safe."

She said: "Another Indian hostage Shri Pushpendu Ghosh is also safe."

Swaraj said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has monitored the situation throughout.

"We were in constant touch with our mission in Sydney and the family of Shri Reddy. The PM was monitoring the situation throughout," she tweeted.

Condemning the incident, Modi tweeted: "Our thoughts & prayers are with the people of Sydney & Australia. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them during these testing times."