Lindt Chocolat Cafe

A swarm of heavily armed police stormed a cafe in the heart of downtown Sydney early Tuesday, ending a siege where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for more than 16 hours.

Hostages were being held inside a cafe in central Sydney Monday with an Islamic flag displayed against a window, according to witnesses and reports, while police said they were also responding to an "incident" at the nearby Opera House.

A swarm of heavily armed police stormed a cafe in the heart of downtown Sydney early Tuesday, ending a siege where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for more than 16 hours.

Hostages were being held inside a cafe in central Sydney Monday with an Islamic flag displayed against a window, according to witnesses and reports, while police said they were also responding to an "incident" at the nearby Opera House.