The gunman at the centre of yesterday’s siege in Melbourne has reportedly been identified as Yacqub Khayre, a man known to police and with a long criminal history.
He was shot dead following a stand-off with police yesterday evening at Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Bay St, Brighton. Three police officers were shot during the stand-off; two were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries while the third was treated at the scene.
A woman who was being held hostage is reportedly shaken but unharmed. Police also discovered the body of a second man with gunshot wounds in the foyer.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC National this morning that they are “treating it as a terrorism incident“, and that the gunman – which ABC reported to be Khayre – had “been involved in a terrorism matter up in New South Wales back in 2009.”
Police have not yet confirmed his identity.
During the siege, which lasted about an hour, a male called to the Channel Seven newsroom in Melbourne and claimed “This is for IS“ and “This is for al-Qaeda“ (i.e. two similar but very opposed terrorist organisations.)
ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack, which is their usual MO.
“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,” it said via its Amaq news agency.
Source: ABC / Herald Sun / VIC Police Media.
Photo: Twitter / @freediveguy.
