The Martin Place hostage taker has requested that police locate an Islamic State flag for him, according to a senior figure in the Sydney Muslim community.
"The man inside the café said that if police could get him an ISIS flag, then he would release some hostages," said the senior figure.
"A contact I know from Counter Terrorism phoned me four or five times today asking if I could find them an ISIS flag, in a hurry. At one stage I had a team of people trying to find one," the person told Fairfax Media.
After receiving the calls, the community leader rang everyone she knew: "I must have called 50 people trying to find an IS flag. I found plenty of people who had one, but they didn't want to give them up. They also believed that the police were trying set them up."
Possession of the ISIS flag is illegal.
The community leader was confused about the request.
It may indicate that the gunman wishes to be seen as part of IS.
"Or it could mean that he could be from Jabhat Al-Nusra, which hates IS, and he might want to burn that IS flag to make a statement," the source said.
Channel 10 later reported they had spoken to a hostage inside the cafe, and that the gunman had demanded both an IS flag and to speak to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
#Breaking: Our
#TenNews team have spoken directly to 2 hostages inside the café… They are confirming 2 demands from the perpetrator: (1/3) — TEN Eyewitness News (@channeltennews)
December 15, 2014
He needs the ISIL flag to be directly delivered to the cafe; And his 2nd request is to speak to the Prime Minster. (2/3) — TEN Eyewitness News (@channeltennews)
December 15, 2014
They also state there are 4 bombs… two inside the Lindt café at Martin Place - and two further in the Sydney CBD. (3/3) — TEN Eyewitness News (@channeltennews)
December 15, 2014
More to come...
