In pictures: Commandos end Sydney hostage siege

Commandos storm a cafe in SydneyEPA

Australian commandos have stormed a cafe in central Sydney, ending a siege in which a gunman held dozens of people hostage for more than 16 hours.

Hostages run to safety during a cafe siege in the central business district of Sydney , Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014AP

Earlier, small groups of hostages were seen running out of the Lindt cafe after shots were fired. It's unclear whether the shooting was from inside or outside.

A injured hostage is wheeled to an ambulance after shots were fired during a cafe siege at Martin Place in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014AP

Paramedics carrying stretchers also raced towards the cafe moments after a volley of loud bangs and flashes.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird (left) and police Commissioner Andrew Scipione speak to media in SydneyAP

New South Wales police later said two hostages died, along with the gunman. Four people were injured, including a policeman hit by shotgun pellets.

A picture made available 15 December 2014 shows Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis arriving to the Downing Centre after a pre-trial hearing of his case, in Sydney, Australia, 18 April 2011.EPA

The gunman has been named as Iranian self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis, who received political asylum in Australia in 1996 and was on bail on a number of charges.

A female employee manages to escape from the Lindt Chocolate cafe in Martin Place, Sydney, Dec. 15, 2014 after a gunman took dozens of people hostage.EPA

Earlier in the day five people were seen running from the cafe in Martin Place.

Members of the New South Wales (NSW) Police Force Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS) are seen outside a Lindt cafe in Martin Place in the central business district of SydneyEPA

Armed police surrounded Martin Place after it emerged hostages were being held in the building at the start of Sydney's working day on Monday.

Hands are pressed up against the window of the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in this still image taken from video from Australia's Seven Network on December 15, 2014.Reuters

Hands were seen pressed against the window of the cafe. Police made contact with the gunman who demanded a flag bearing the Islamic State seal.

Police secure the scene near Lindt Cafe, Martin Place on December 15, 2014 in Sydney, AustraliaGetty Images
A police officer runs across Martin Place near Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014.Reuters

Hundreds of officers were called to the scene as police attempted to contact the people inside the cafe.

Office workers are evacuated from their buildings as a siege is underway at a Lindt cafe in Martin Place in the central business district of Sydney, AustraliaEPA
A police officer runs across Martin Place near Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014.Reuters