Live: Suspected Islamic gunman takes hostages at Lindt Cafe in Sydney

Rolling coverage of hostage situation in Sydney where a gunman suspected of being Islamic is holding between 10 and 30 people at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe.

19:11: Australian police confirm three dead and four injured in the incident.

Read more: Three dead, four injured in police confrontation in Sydney Australia

16:40: Australian local media concur that the gunman was killed by shots from police.

16:21: Press shows photos of hostages being carried out.

1543: The siege has ended, according to a statement from the local police.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that two persons were killed and three injured after the police stormed the cafe.

1530: Many hostages have emerged from the establishment where they were being retained. That comes after several shots were fired into the store and a man exited the cafe with raised arms. After being searched he was whisked away, reports said.

14:54: More details are emerging on the man who is holding people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney's CBD. Self-described cleric, Man Haron Monis, 50, first came to attention of police when he penned poisonous letters to the family of dead Australian soldiers in 2004. Monis, who has also gone by the names of Sheikh Haron and Mohammad Hassan Manteghi, was born in Iran and was charged with more than 50 allegations of indecent and sexual assault.

14:05: NSW Police have identified the man behind the hostage situation at Martin Place as Man Monis, a 49-year-old currently on bail for being accessory to murder in 2013. Monis arrived in Australia in 1996.

13:49: NSW Police believe the gunman to be a 49-year-old Iranian sheikh with a criminal record.

13:40: Here's a video round-up of the events that have unfolded today in Sydney.

12:40: Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn has commended the public for its patience during the ongoing operation. "You, the community, made our job much easier than it could have been," she said. "We only hope that co-operation and understanding continues tomorrow as we work to bring about a peaceful resolution to this situation."

12:30: NSW Police have urged the public to go about their business as usual on Tuesday.Officers will continue to maintain a perimeter around a cafe at the corner of Martin Place and Elizabeth streets overnight where a man is holding a number of hostages.Traffic and Highway Patrol police have cordoned-off parts of Hunter, Macquarie, King and Elizabeth streets.

12:24: The #illridewithyou Twitter campaign, which aims to offer protection to Muslims leaving in Australia that could be targeted in retaliation for Monday's attack, has been mentioned over 40,000 times in the past three hours

12:13: Two of the hostages who escaped were taken to hospital and both have been treated and already released.One had a pre-existing condition that needed treatment, the other was in a state of shock and St Vincent's hospital is on standby and ready to go for any emergency to treat any casualties.

12:06: NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has confirmed gunman is known to police and that they were in contact with him, however he did not reveal how the force knew about the gunman's identity.

11:48: Officials from the NSW Police have confirmed that the Lindt Cafe is the only focus at the moment but that officers remain on high alert across the city.

11:12: "This is a time that requires us to band together and defeat evil inclinations," the head of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad, has told the Sydney Morning Herald.

11:04: The siege has now reached its 13th hour and at least 15 people remain trapped inside the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, with police wearing night vision goggles stationed outside.

10:10: A coalition of Muslim groups has issued a statement expressing their "utter shock and horror" at the scenes that unfolded in Martin Place on Monday. "We reject any attempt to take the innocent life of any human being, or to instill fear and terror into their hearts," the statement, signed by 44 groups, says. "Any such despicable act only serves to play into the agendas of those who seek to destroy the goodwill of the people of Australia and to further damage and ridicule the religion of Islam, and Australian Muslims throughout this country."

10:06: Ridesharing app Uber has come under severe criticism after outraged Sydney workers found prices had spiked dramatically in the wake of the Martin Place siege. Uber users found the price of trips from the city's CBD had more than doubled under the company's 'surge pricing' policy, which the firm justified by saying it was done to encourage more drivers to pick up passengers in the area.

The decision, however, sparked furious reactions by customers who claimed the company was trying to make a profit out of an extremely delicate situation.

After receiving a barrage of criticism, the company is now offering free trips out of Sydney's CBD, in a bid to restore its credibility after a major PR own goal.

09:45: Anti-Islamic sentiment has flooded social media in the wake of the Sydney siege, but there is a growing campaign which portrays Australian under a much better light. By taking part in a Twitter movement, labeled #illridewithyou, Australians offer to ride on buses and trains with Muslims, or give them a lift to work tomorrow, in order to keep them safe.

09:37: Scipione said that police negotiators remain in touch with the gunman but he would not disclose through which mean of communication. "We want to keep that to ourselves for the time being," he said.

9:29: NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione is speaking to a press conference: "We are working to resolve this as quickly as we can but there is much for us to do over the coming hours," he said. "We're not going to discuss tactics or strategies and we won't confirm rumours. We're not in the business of speculation."

9:22: NSW Premier Mike Baird is now briefing the press: "We have complete confidence in the police, they've been outstanding throughout the day." He also praised Sydneysiders for their reaction today and urged workers who work in the proximity of the Lindt Cafe to work from home on Tuesday.

9:18

9:08 Sky News Australia reports that an increasing number of police cars has arrived at the scene, with roadblocks being deployed around Martin Place, while the lights in the cafe have been switched off.

9:01: The siege in Sydney has surpassed the 10-hour mark in what has been a frantic day in the NSW capital. Amid all the speculation surrounding the reasons behind the attack and the gunman's origin, there have been plenty of contradicting reports. Here the Sydney Morning Herald offers a recap of what we know so far and what, instead, has proved to be nothing more than speculation.

8:49: Chris Reason, a reporter for Channel 7 news who's on the scene in Sydney, has tweeted that the gunman were seen to be extremely agitated after five hostages fled the cafe

8:31: NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn confirmed hostage negotiators were speaking directly with the gunman. “Our approach is to resolve this peacefully, it may take some time but that is our approach,” she said, adding that police planned to “work into the night” if need be. “This is ongoing. We still have people being held, still have a person we are dealing with. The good news is we do have five people who have come out of that building.”

8:17: Australian Channel 7 News located in front of the cafe is reporting on the situation, saying that the gunman is rotating hostages and placing them with their hands against the front window. The hostages are also being provided with food from the cafe itself.

8:05: Reports are that the siege could be due to the arrest this last weekend in Bangalore of Mehdi Masroor Biswas who confessed to managing one of the more popular Islamic State Twitter accounts Shami Witness:

7:51: Australian PM Tony Abbot makes official statement on the situation: "This is a very disturbing incident. It is profoundly shocking that innocent people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation. Nevertheless I can say that New South Wales police and other agencies have responded to this incident with great professionalism." Abbot further commended the Australian people for remaining calm in reaction to this "disturbing incident".

7:49: Local authorities have confirmed that negotiations with the gunman have begun.

7:41: British Prime Minister has already given a show of support via Twitter:

7:39: The gunman has reportedly made demands to be provided with an Islamic State flag for which he is willing to free one hostage and is also requesting a call with the Australian Prime Minster Tony Abbot.

7:27: Local news stations have footage of hostaging escaping from the cafe:

7:22: Between 10 and 30 people have been taken hostage at a Lindt Chocalate Cafe in Martin Place Sydney. So far five hostages have managed to escape after two others were forced by the gunman to display a flag in Arabic that stated: "There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."