• A gunman took hostages in a local cafe in Sydney, Australia on December 15.
• The gunman was said to be demanding the ISIS flag and a phone call with the Australian Prime Minister.
• Armed officers arrived at the scene where three hostages managed to escape.
• It was estimated that 17 people were taken hostage.
• Images at the scene showed people, believed to be hostages, with their hands pressed against the glass of the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, holding black flags with the the Islamic declaration of faith written on it in Arabic: “There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God.”
• When two additional hostages escaped, the gunman was described as becoming agitated and shouting orders to the remaining hostages.
• When night fell, the cafe was plunged into darkness, the reason why being unclear.
• Australian police stormed the shop after 16 hours and killed the gunman, Man Haron Monis.
• Two hostages were killed and many were injured, including a police officer suffering a bullet wound.
• Monis appeared to have embraced a radical Sunni theology and is believed to have been acting alone.

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/world/asia/australia-sydney-hostage-situation/index.html?hpt=hp_t1