06 June 2017

News Story: Australian hostage drama that left two people dead an 'act of terror' - authorities

by Matt Goss

MELBOURNE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- An incident in Melbourne which left two people dead is being treated as an act of terror, police confirmed on Tuesday.

Graham Ashton, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, said that officers would investigate if Yacqub Khayre, 29, was trying to lure police into a deadly ambush on Monday night when he shot an apartment worker dead and took a woman hostage.

Khayre was killed by police on Monday night after a prolonged siege which began when officers discovered the body of a man, in the foyer of an apartment building in Brighton, 11 kilometers south-east of Melbourne.

Shortly after the discovery of the body, a woman called emergency services saying she was being held hostage by Khayre, prompting a specialist police operation.

Khayre emerged from the apartment building around 6:00 p.m. and started shooting at police, injuring three officers, before he was killed.

Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the incident on Tuesday, saying Khayre was "one of its soldiers."

However, Ashton said that the evidence indicated that Khayre had planned and coordinated the attack on his own.

Read the full story at Xinhua