Australian police have stormed a cafe in Sydney after a prolonged siege in which a gunman took a number of people hostage
Shots have been heard and several hostages have been seen running from the Lindt cafe. Police now say the siege is over
The gunman has been named as Man Haron Monis - a self-proclaimed cleric from Iran
People inside the cafe were earlier forced to hold a black flag with Arabic writing at the window. All times GMT
The BBC's live coverage of the Sydney cafe siege has now come to an end. Thanks for staying with us. For all the updates on this and other stories, please go to the BBC News website.
As we bring the BBC's live coverage of the hostage stand-off to an end, an editorial in the Australian argues, external that whatever "the deranged motivation" behind it, it still succeeded in achieving three outcomes. First, it attracted immediate global coverage. Second, it crippled the centre of the country's biggest city, 10 days before Christmas. And third, it planted "a new wariness in ordinary Australians going about their daily lives". "For many of us," the editorial says, "the crisis made the realities of terrorism, whatever its source, hit home hard."
tweets, external: Injured police officer has been released from RNS Hospital. Will have to come back at a later date for surgery on cut to his hand @9NewsSyd
While it is true that the vast majority of Australia's Muslims are peaceful and productive citizens, an editorial in Australia's Daily Telegraph, external says, it is also true that "a significant minority of our Muslim community harbours extremist views that are abhorrent to all Australians, including fellow members of their faith". The editorial warns that Australians will now have to adapt "to a new reality" - "we are now in the front line of a terror conflict".
tweets, external: We are now hearing the injured police officer is at another hospital, two other injured people here at RPA. #sydneysiege
It has been a harrowing day for relatives of the hostages, who had to wait many hours before hearing news of the fate of their loved ones.
Image source, EPAAdam Houda, a well-known Sydney solicitor who had represented Man Haron Monis, is the latest in a long line of people to question the dead gunman's sanity, describing him as "mad as a cut snake".
New York Times Tehran correspondent Thomas Erdbrink tweets:, external Former classmate of Sydney attacker "Sheikh Haron" tells me he has never met a more crazier person in his life. "Completely nuts".
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham has condemned hostage taker Man Haron Monis, arguing that his poor mental condition was "obvious". Mrs Afkham said that Iran had repeatedly raised concerns about Monis - an asylum seeker from Iran - to Australian officials over the last two decades. She said that resorting to violence in the name of Islam was not acceptable.
tweets, external: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two deceased hostages, the wounded and the other hostages. #sydneysiege
"In the past 24 hours this city has been shaken by a tragedy that none of us could have ever imagined," New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said at the start of the police news conference in Sydney. "Today we must come together as never before. We are stronger together. We will get through this. Unbelievably overnight we have lost some of our own in an attack we never thought we would see here in our city."
tweets, external: 3 ppl being treated here at Royal North Shore Hospital including 39 yr old police officer with a bullet graze to the cheek @9NewsSyd
Police say that hostage-taker Man Haron Monis, 50, was shot and pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.
New South Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione tells the news conference: "We have a male police officer who has been injured as a result of a gunshot wound to the face. I have talked to that officer. He is in good condition. He is currently being assessed and will be remaining in hospital for some time. Not too long, we hope, but he is well and grateful to be alive, let me assure you."
Police have just held a news conference in Sydney on the cafe attack. In it, they said that if they did not attack the premises when they did, more people would have died.
They would not reveal whether the two hostages killed were caught in crossfire or shot by the gunman.
The cafe has been secured and there are no explosives still inside, police say.
There was a "vicious horrendous attack" that has taken place in our city, police say, and all questions relating to it will be answered in the days and weeks ahead.
Police moved in when there was an exchange of gunfire inside the cafe, the news conference is told.
The emphasis now is looking after the hostages and their families, police say.
Police say that if they did not enter the cafe when they did, many more lives would have been lost.