Five people have managed to flee from a Sydney cafe where a gunman is holding several people hostage in a Lindt chocolate Cafe.
Three hostages, all men, emerged from the cafe almost six hours after the standoff began with two women fleeing around an hour later, watched by heavily armed police.
It was not clear if they escaped or were released.
Earlier police said they had managed to make contact with the gunman but did not divulge any further details.
According to reports Australian officials are not tagging this as a terrorist incident.
The gunman had displayed a flag in the store window with Arabic writing on it.
