Australia police kill hostage taker; Islamic State claims responsibility

[webfact]

Australia police kill hostage taker; Islamic State claims responsibility

REUTERS

 

Australian police from the bomb squad unit walk near the site where a gunman was shot dead after holding a woman hostage in Melbourne, Australia, June 5, 2017. AAP/Julian Smith/via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police on Monday shot dead a gunman in the city of Melbourne who had been holding a woman hostage, police said, a confrontation for which the militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility.

 

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, has been on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East or their supporters.

 

Three police officers were hurt in a stand-off lasting more than an hour at an apartment building in the beachside suburb of Brighton, police said in a statement. A second man had earlier been found dead from a gunshot wound, they said.

 

Victoria state police tried to negotiate with a man inside an apartment, they said in a post on their official account on social network Twitter, adding, "It's believed a woman is with him whom he won't allow to leave."

 

An hour later, police said the situation had been resolved with the woman rescued.

 

Three police employees suffered injuries during the incidents but they were not life-threatening, police said, without elaborating.

 

Later, Islamic State said one of its fighters carried out the attack because of Australia's membership in the U.S.-led coalition.

 

"The attack in Melbourne, Australia was carried out by a soldier of the Islamic State in response to the call for targeting the subjects of the coalition states," the group's Amaq news agency said.

 

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Larry King)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-06

[Thechook]

Confirmed terrorist attack.  The guy came to Australia as a "So called Refugee" Had a violent history and was previously charged with terrorism offences, plot to attack a military base.  The soft courts and sympathising lawyers allowed him to go free.  Attempts to deport him were overturned by Islamic sympathising courts.  When are we going to from a pair and get serious about this evil cult, stop pandering to them and stop importing this murderous garbage.  When will we be free to say we have had enough of innocent people dying for Islam.   This is a product of weak governments, courts and bloody political correctness gone mad.

[halloween]

Australia doesn't have terrorist attacks to the same level as UK, France and Germany because we have a much smaller percentage of muslims in the population. But we are working to overcome that. Now those refugees we accept may well be perfectly nice people who appreciate their new country, they have memories of the shithole they left, but they will have children indoctrinated with the same garbage, and a small percentage of them will be subject to radicalisation.

Isn't that something to look forward to?

 

[webfact]

Australian PM says Melbourne siege 'a terrorist attack

By Tom Westbrook

REUTERS

 

Police are pictured outside the Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Brighton in Melbourne, Australia, June 6, 2017 after police on Monday shot dead Yacqub Khayre after he held a woman hostage. AAP/Julian Smith/via REUTERS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday police were treating a deadly siege in the southern city of Melbourne as an "act of terrorism" after a claim by the Islamic State group that one of its fighters was the gunman responsible.

 

Police shot dead gunman Yacqub Khayre on Monday after he held a woman hostage inside an apartment building in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city.

 

Police confirmed on Tuesday that Khayre, who was acquitted of a plot to attack a Sydney army base in 2009, had shot a man dead in the foyer of the building.

 

"This terrorist attack by a known criminal, a man who was only recently released on parole, is a shocking, cowardly crime," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in the capital, Canberra.

 

"It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamist terrorism," he said.

 

Victoria state Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said police were still investigating after Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq news agency.

 

"We're aware of them having claimed responsibility, but then they always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens so we note that that has happened," he said.

 

Amaq said the attack was launched because of Australia's membership in a U.S.-led coalition fighting against the militant Islamist group in Syria and Iraq.

 

Police were also investigating a telephone call made to the newsroom of Australian TV broadcaster Seven Network during the siege. Seven reported that a male caller said the attack was related to Islamic State.

 

Ashton said Khayre, an 29-year-old Australian of Somali heritage, had a long criminal history and was on parole at the time of the attack.

 

He did not specify the charges related to Khayre's parole. Khayre was acquitted of a plot to attack Sydney's Holsworthy Barracks in 2009. Three other men were convicted.

 

Ashton said evidence collected from a raid on the home that Khayre lived in with his mother indicated he likely acted alone and that the threat from this attack was now over.

 

Khayre arranged to meet a female escort at a block of serviced apartments in the beachside Melbourne suburb of Brighton on Monday, and then killed a staff member when he arrived, Ashton said.

 

After holding the woman hostage for several hours, Khayre burst out of the building firing at police, who shot back and killed him. The woman was rescued unhurt, but three police officers suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds.

 

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, or their supporters, since 2014. Police have foiled several major plots in recent years.

 

In December 2014, a gunman killed one hostage during a 17-hour siege at a popular Sydney cafe. Another hostage was killed by fragments of a bullet fired by police who stormed the cafe and killed the gunman, who was not affiliated to any militant groups and acted alone.

 

Six people were arrested over a plan to set off bombs in Melbourne on Christmas Day last year.

(Editing by Jane Wardell and Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-06

[ezzra]

The lucky country has woken up to smell the gun powder of a terrorist's gun, from here on, nothing is going to get better, only worse, copy cats of loan gunman will get the idea and the drive, and with  IS pushing them on, the future is bleak.... 

[halloween]

 

"It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamist terrorism," Turnbull

 

If we didn't have any muslims would there be any need?

[theoldgit]

Off topic post removed, this story is about a terrorist incident not regular crime.

[chrisinth]

If a suspected terrorist is involved in criminal activity does that automatically become a terrorist incident?

 

I ask this because of what the Police Commissioner was quoted as saying in the OP:

 

"We're aware of them having claimed responsibility, but then they always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens so we note that that has happened," he said.

[boomerangutang]

Good on the Aussie cops for shooting the buttplug.  

 

                            In other countries, incl. the US, too often negotiators waste too much time trying to give hostage-takers too much latitude.  I'm sure each police force has sharpshooters.  Put 'em to use.  Blow the hostage taker's braincase off his head.  Job done.  On to the next job.

[Saan]

46 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

Good on the Aussie cops for shooting the buttplug.  

 

                            In other countries, incl. the US, too often negotiators waste too much time trying to give hostage-takers too much latitude.  I'm sure each police force has sharpshooters.  Put 'em to use.  Blow the hostage taker's braincase off his head.  Job done.  On to the next job.

It would have been better if police could have taken him alive as information about his contacts may have led to further arrests. Terrorists do not work in a vacuum.

[Thechook]

5 minutes ago, Saan said:

It would have been better if police could have taken him alive as information about his contacts may have led to further arrests. Terrorists do not work in a vacuum.

Well he just shot three coppers and a civilian, I think negotiation time ran out.  Authorities already have an extensive dossier on him dated back to pre 2009.

[Ace of Pop]

Should have Shot the Bastard in2009 then 3 folks wouldn't be dead[emoji61]?‍♀️


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[halloween]

1 minute ago, Ace of Pop said:

Should have Shot the Bastard in2009 then 3 folks wouldn't be dead?‍♀️


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Deportation would have worked just as well.

[Ace of Pop]

It would have been better if police could have taken him alive as information about his contacts may have led to further arrests. Terrorists do not work in a vacuum.

Yep a good dose of Torture would have helped[emoji85]


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[docshock13]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

<snip>

political correctness gone mad.

= Cdn PM Justin Trudeau.

[ncc1701d]

Any family member of his should be repatriated back to wherever they came from. Should be made clear on any application to come to Australia and part of the requirement. He must have had a sponsor/s and family members. It's time to stop dicking around.

[gazza4]

7 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

Good on the Aussie cops for shooting the buttplug.  

 

                            In other countries, incl. the US, too often negotiators waste too much time trying to give hostage-takers too much latitude.  I'm sure each police force has sharpshooters.  Put 'em to use.  Blow the hostage taker's braincase off his head.  Job done.  On to the next job.

I'm an Aussie, but I have always disagreed with Australia"s decision to sleep with America.

[Ace of Pop]

Why did they go from GBP to Dollars.?.Englands folk will lose out going an Islamic currency in another 25 years time.?[emoji481]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[oxo1947]

6 minutes ago, Ace of Pop said:

Why did they go from GBP to Dollars.?

.......................................