Three dead in Sydney siege

Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe on Tuesday and freed a number of hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which three people were killed and four wounded. New South Wales police said two men, aged 34 and 50, and a 38-year-old woman died. The attacker was among the fatalities. Heavy gunfire and blasts from stun grenades filled the air shortly after 2am local time (9pm Bangladesh Standard Time) on Monday. Moments earlier at least six people believed to have been held captive managed to flee after gunshots were heard coming from the cafe, and police later confirmed that they made their move in response. So far 17 hostages have been accounted for, according to Reuters.