
These are the faces of the innocent victims forced to endure some 16 hours of hell as they were held hostage in Sydney's terrorist siege.

Tori Johnson, the manager of the Lindt cafe in Martin Place, and mother-of-three Katrina Dawson were the two hostages killed during the bloody climax.

Mr Johnson, 34, was shot dead after he tried to wrestle the gun from Islamic extremist Man Haron Monis inside the cafe just after 2am on Tuesday.

Ms Dawson, a 38-year-old whose children are all under 10, died in hospital. She was a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers in Sydney's Phillip Street, opposite the site of the siege.

The remaining hostages were able to make a break for the exit of the cafe about 2am after the gunman began to fall asleep - more than 16 hours after he took 17 people captive.

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The 34-year-old manager of the Lindt cafe, Tori Johnson (left), and mother of three Katrina Dawson, 38 (right), have been named as the two hostages killed during the Sydney siege on Tuesday morning

Lindt employee Elly Chen (left), lawyer Stefan Balafoutis (middle) and John O’Brian (right) were among the first to escape

Marcia Mikhail, 42, (left) is a Westpac executive and Harriette Denny, 30, (middle) and Jieun Bae, 20, (right) are Lindt employees

Lawyer Julie Taylor (left), 19-year-old Jarrod Hoffman (middle) and Fiona Ma (right) escaped the frightening ordeal

Westpac employees Selina Win Pe (left), Viswakanth Ankireddy (middle) and Puspendu Ghosh (right)

Joel Herat (left) , who worked at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, and Paolo Vassallo (right), the supervisor at the Cafe, found themselves hostages

Ms Dawson, who leaves behind her husband Paul and their children, Chloe, Sasha and Olive, was having a coffee with a pregnant colleague when the siege unfolded. Her children were unaware she was involved until Tuesday morning, the Australian reports.

One of the pregnant women in the cafe at the time, Julie Taylor, was also a colleague of Ms Dawson and had to be treated in hospital following the ordeal.

Lawyer Stefan Balafoutis was one of the first three men to escape the cafe about 3.45pm. He works in the 10th Floor Selborne/Wentworth Chambers, which is directly above Lindt.

Dressed in a bright blue blazer, 83-year-old John O’Brian, was the first out of the cafe when he escaped with Mr Balafoutis.

Marcia Mikhail, 42, was among those hostages forced to record a chilling video message listing the hostage-taker's demands. She was carried out of the cafe by two emergency services workers with blood running down her leg and is still recovering in hospital.

Harriett Denny, a fellow employee, ran from the cafe with five other hostages shortly before police issued their gunfire assault. The 30-year-old's father who lives in Queensland was forced to watch the horrific incident unfold on TV.

Viswakanth Ankireddy, a software engineer at tech giant Infosys, was working for Westpac in Martin Place when he was caught up in the siege. His Westpac colleague, Puspendu Ghosh, also escaped the siege unharmed.

Jarrod Hoffman, 19, and Fiona Ma were also among the hostages, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Selina Win Pe escaped unharmed after she was also forced to relay demands via a recorded message that were subsequently posted online during the siege.

Joel Herat, who lists his workplace as ‘Lindt & Sprüngli’ on Facebook, was another of the hostages to upload a haunting hostage clip on his YouTube account.

Within half an hour, the video was taken down by YouTube and the account was deactivated.

Paolo Vassallo, who was among the first hostages to escape on Monday afternoon, is a married father of three. After escaping, Vassallo was taken to hospital due to a pre-existing medical condition. He was later reunited with his family, reports ABC.

As Australia mourned the dead, thousands of people gathered at Martin Place to lay flowers

Sydney resident Kate Golder cries as she observes the site of a cafe siege in Martin Place

Many of those office workers, friends and tourists leaving tributes were in tears

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione visited the scene outside the Lindt cafe on Tuesday morning

Visibily distraught men and women have been laying tributes for the two innocent victims of the siege

Ken and Rosemary, the parents of Mr Johnson, who was shot inside the cafe he had run for two years, released a statement on Tuesday.

'We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for.

'We'd like to thank not only our friends and loved ones for their support, but the people of Sydney; Australia and those around the world for reaching out with their thoughts and prayers.'

They also expressed their sorrow for the family of Katrina Dawson who also died.

The siege ended after less than two minutes of gunfire at 2.15am today. Mr Johnson and Ms Dawson died from their injuries, while several others were wounded:

Five hostages were injured in the shootout which left the gunman dead

Three women suffered gunshot wounds - a 75-year-old who was hit in the shoulder, a 52-year-old in the foot and a 43-year-old in the leg

A police officer was injured by gunshot pellets to his face. He has now been released from hospital

Two pregnant women, aged 35 and 30, are both in stable conditions after undergoing health assessment

As Australia mourned the dead, thousands of people gathered at Martin Place to lay flowers, some in floods of tears. Among those paying tribute were Tony Abbott, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, Premier Mike Baird and the Governor General Peter Cosgrove.

Speaking earlier today, the prime minister said it was tragic people going about their everyday business could get caught up in such a horrific incident.

'Our hearts go out to all of those caught up in this appalling incident and their loved ones. On behalf of all Australians, I extend my sympathy to the families of the two hostages who died over night,' Mr Abbott said.

The 50-year-old gunman is believed to have fired the first shots, which sparked teams of heavily armed police to swoop on the cafe.

More details of the final terrifying moments of the siege have since emerged as tributes flow in for those who were involved.

An injured hostage is carried away on a stretcher by paramedics after police stormed the Lindt cafe in central Sydney

A hostage feared dead is carried out of the cafe after they were reportedly shot by the hostage-taker, prompting police to storm the building

A female hostage is carried out and away from the cafe - clearly in distress with blood pouring down the legs

Gunman Man Haron Monis, pictured here protesting charges against him earlier this year, held 17 people hostage in the Lindt cafe

With terror etched on their faces, two female hostages run into the arms of armed police at the back of the building

Police raided the cafe in central Sydney early Tuesday, bringing a dramatic end to a 17-hour siege. The raid came moments after some hostages fled the Lindt cafe after more than 16 hours

Petrified: Two heavily armed police officers assist a hostage away from Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in central Sydney

A shrine for the hostage victims has grown rapidly since a single bunch of flowers was laid at dawn on Tuesday.

Dignitaries, workers from nearby offices and tourists have been seen paying their respects with some standing in solemn silence and others sobbing uncontrollably.

The law firm Ms Dawson worked for, which was located next door to Lindt, told Daily Mail Australia they were 'devastated by the loss of our beloved floor member'.

It said the 38-year-old was a rising star at 8 Selborne Chambers.

'Katrina was on her way to becoming one of the leading barristers at the bar. She was also a dear friend to all of us and will be deeply missed,' a statement read.

'Our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. We also send our condolences to everyone affected by this tragic event.

'We thank all those who have sent messages of support.'

Kate Golder, 37, broke down in tears as she paid tribute to the hostages.

'It's the randomness of it, it could have been any of the cafes that I frequent in the city, it could have been any of us,' she said.

'I said to my husband it could have been me - I feel so sorry for the victims and their families. Martin Place is such a lovely place to be but that peace has been shattered.'

Ms Golder works in the finance industry and her office is just 100 metres from the cafe.

'When i I walk through Martin Place now it will always feel different for me,' she said.

'Sydneysiders, like most Australians, we are pretty relaxed but it feels like something has changed overnight.'

Terri Lucia, who also works nearby, sobbed uncontrollably as she placed flowers at the makeshift shrine.

'Im really very shocked. As soon as I found out what happened to those poor people I had to come down just so they know that we care. It's just awful - I'm still in shock,' the 52-year-old said.

'It has changed forever, it's such a beautiful place.I used to come here and have lunch but it just doesn't feel like it today.'

NSW Premier Mike Baird laid a bunch of flowers alongside hundreds of other Sydneysiders

Hundreds of bouquets of flowers have been laid in Martin Place since dawn

Lydia Shelly (left) and Terri Lucia (right) were among those with tears streaming down their faces as they paused at the makeshift memorial

Four-year-old daughter Mona placed flowers with her family as hundreds of floral tributes started to appear in Martin Place

The group that owns Sydney's Lindt cafe has pledged support for the victims of a hostage-taker, saying it's profoundly saddened by the deaths and injuries suffered.

Lindt & Sprungli chairman Ernst Tanner said the loss of two innocent lives at its Martin Place cafe was a heavy weight to bear.

The company has pledged support for the families of the dead, as well as the wounded and other survivors.

'Lindt & Sprungli is profoundly saddened and deeply affected about the death of innocent people,' Mr Tanner said in a statement on Tuesday.

'We are devastated by the loss of their lives and that several others were wounded and had to experience such trauma.'

'In these difficult times, we all need to stand together in order to defend the values of freedom, peace and tolerance,' he said.

The company pledged to support its workers and customers whose lives were shattered by a terrible and random act of violence.

'Lindt & Sprüngli will provide any support to the victims and their families, and indeed to all our employees affected by this event,' the company's Australian chief executive Stephen Loane said.

A NSW police officer carries floral tributes through an empty Martin Place early on Tuesday

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lynne also paid tribute

Belgian tourists Peter van Eeckhoutte (pictured holding camera), wife Mieke (in green) and four-year-old daughter Mona (in red) were at the Lindt cafe entrance only half an hour before the attack

The floral tributes stemmed from just one bouquet that was left before dawn on Tuesday

The first flowers were laid in Martin Place around sunrise on Tuesday, just hours after the siege

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione paid his respects to the two innocent siege victims

Eleven hostages were accounted for after the police raid shortly after 2am. Five hostages had already escaped earlier on Monday afternoon.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police entered the building after they heard gunfire and feared hostages had been hit.

'They made the call because they believed at that time if they didn't enter it would have been many more lives lost,' Mr Scipione said.

'I understand there was a number of gunshots that were heard, which caused officers to move straight to what we call an EA – emergency action plan – and that caused them to enter.'

A crime scene is still set up in and around the Lindt cafe as investigations continue.

The siege has prompted police to have a 24 hour presence in public places and transport hubs over the Christmas and New Year period.

Seven Network reporter Chris Reason, who was watching the siege unfold from his newsroom across the road, said some of the hostages broke free after Monis attempted to usher the hostages from one side of the café to the other.

One man emerged from the cafe with his hands up and lay down on the ground in front of police. Seconds later, a group of at least five hostages escaped from the cafe.

It is believed that Monis then fired his shotgun, killing one of his captives. This appeared to be the trigger for tactical police to move in.

Within seconds, they had blasted through the cafe door and opened fire with automatic weapons, also hurling what appeared to be stun grenades. The sounds of explosions echoed through the city and the flashes of rifle fire and grenades lit up the area.

The gunfight lasted less than two minutes and more hostages emerged after the police raid. As the scene calmed down, a bomb disposal robot was seen entering the cafe.

Police officers wearing armoured suits walk with a robot towards Lindt Cafe in Martin Place to check for booby traps after the siege ended

Heavily armed police remained posted around the cafe as night fell and the hostage drama continued into the night. Inside, the remaining hostages were brought food and were observed by witnesses as looking 'pained'

The hostages were seized by the gunman on Monday morning after he stormed the Sydney cafe. Several captives made an early courageous break for freedom but it was thought that about 15 hostages remained in the cafe through the night.

During the stand-off with police, three videos were released on YouTube, believed to be of three female hostages putting the gunman's demands to police. Those demands included the police bringing an ISIS flag to the cafe and insisting on a conversation with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The gunman's name was released soon after midnight after senior police gave their approval to various media outlets.

The drama began unfolding Monday morning when the gunman entered the cafe, located in one of busiest plazas in Sydney's central business district, and pulled a shotgun from a blue carry bag and disabled the doors.

Soon afterwards, hostages were seen with their hands pressed against the windows holding up the Islamic Shahada flag. It is an emblem of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria. The man was described as wearing a headband with Arabic writing on it.

Scores of police rushed to the scene, evacuating surrounding buildings and closing off part of the city. The scene sent shockwaves across Australia, where terror attacks have rarely touched home soil.

Paramilitary police armed with automatic rifles spent Monday surrounding the cafe, with senior commanders saying they were prepared to take a patient approach to the siege, hoping to end it through negotiation with the gunman.

A young female employee came running out of the Lindt cafe shortly before 5pm and was sheltered by waiting police

Another distraught female worker, cafe barista Elly Chen, bolted from the shop before taking cover with police

A total of five hostages have now escaped Lindt cafe - it's believed they escaped and were not released

One of the young female employees was visibly upset as she grabbed hold of armed police

'Omg Elly!! So glad you're OK': Ms Chen, pictured, was the fifth hostage, scrambling from the cafe with her hands in the air

Freedom: Ms Chen was helped to a cover immediately after she burst from the Lindt Cafe store

A total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, managed to escape the cafe by scrambling out a side door about seven hours into the drama. Fear etched on their faces, they ran into the arms of waiting police.

It is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being released by their captor. One former male hostage was taken to nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and was treated for a pre-existing condition.

The gunman flew into a rage when he realised some of his captives had escaped.

'The gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at remaining hostages,' tweeted journalist Chris Reason.

The light inside the building went off through the night but police would not reveal whether it was a law enforcement or hostage-taker tactic. Mr Reason said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window.

'From inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained, strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted.

Food and water was also being delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.

Two terrified men were spotted fleeing the Lindt cafe in Martin Place shortly before 3.45pm

Two men, believed to be customers, ran around a corner and hid behind heavily armed police after six hours inside the cafe

A male employee wearing an apron frantically ran out of a side fire exit and hid behind police

BThe three men are believed to have escaped from the cafe after six hours

Many remain: Around 10 hostages are thought to remain inside the Lindt chocolate cafe

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said overnight that police would do whatever it takes for the situation to be peacefully resolved.

Sydney was eerily quiet on Monday night.

Office buildings went into lockdown earlier on Monday morning, Martin Place train station - a central thoroughfare for workers - was shut. Events at the Opera House, such as a performance of the Nutcracker, were cancelled.

Hundreds of heavily armed police, operating under unprecedented Task Force Pioneer counter-terrorism protocols, were scouring the city, completely isolating the darkened cafe.

The man responsible is self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, who lives in southwest Sydney after coming to Australia from Iran as a refugee in 1996.

He first came to the attention of authorities when he started sending hate mail to the families of Australian dead soldiers between 2007 and 2009, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The siege in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday reportedly followed an unsuccessful effort to have a conviction related to penning those letters overturned in the High Court on Friday, according to The Age.

Man Haron Monis - also known as Sheik Haron - has been named as the gunman holding up to 15 people hostage in a Sydney café

Monis received 300 community service hours and a two-year good behaviour bond for the correspondence, which he claims were his version of sympathy cards and sent with the help from his girlfriend Amirah Droudis.

The hostage-taker was charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her western Sydney apartment block in November 2013. The man's current partner was charged with murder but they both received bail as the case was deemed too weak.

He was arrested in April this year for the sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman in 2002 after luring her to his clinic following claims he was as an expert in astrology, meditation and black magic, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Monis was slapped with an additional 40 charges in October after more victims came forward alleging incidents took place in his spiritual healing clinic in Station Street in Wentworthville, western Sydney.

High-profile Sydney Muslim leader Jamal Rifi told Daily Mail Australia he knew of the gunman but not on a personal level.

'What he expressed did not reflect the Muslim community which is why he is not part of the larger Muslim community and that's why he does not belong to a mainstream mosque,' he said.

'He wanted his name known and may want some gratification from the reaction to this'

Dozens of people are being held hostage by a terrorist who stormed into a central Sydney cafe with a gun and forced crying women to hold a black Islamic flag up to the window

A man believed to be one of the hostage-takers was filmed wearing a black headband covered in Arabic inside the cafe

Terrified customers and employees were among those standing with their hands against the window at the Lindt cafe in Sydney

A hostage could be seen pressing their hands up against the window of the cafe

One blonde-haired hostage was pictured inside the cafe through the glass doors standing in the middle of the shop

On Monday morning, columnist Chris Kenny, who was in the shop about 20 minutes before the siege began, said he understood the automatic glass sliding doors had been disabled after the gunman stormed the store.

'I did speak to a couple of people who saw a bit more of this unfold than I did,' he said. 'One woman said she tried to go into the shop just after I came out with my takeaway coffee but the doors wouldn't open.

'So obviously whoever is doing this has disabled the automatic glass sliding doors to stop anyone else going in and she said immediately she could see there was a weapon.

'The woman was quite frantic but very clear what she was telling (the police).

'I know the faces of the people who are sitting there enjoying a morning coffee.'

2GB radio host Ray Hadley said he had three tense telephone conversations with one of the hostages inside the cafe and he could hear the gunman giving demands.

The hostage asked to be put to air live following the instructions of the gunman. However, Hadley refused saying he didn't have the expertise to deal with the situation.

'There are some people who are not well. They've been in there for five hours, they're distraught,' he said.

'I'm not in a position to comply with requests that have been made, I can't.

'The media can't play a role in negotiating with people purporting to be from Islamic State holding hostages in a cafe in Sydney. This is the job of authorities to solve htis problem.

'They want us to say things that we simply can't say.'

All of the chocolate chain's stores around Sydney were closed following the incident, in an act of camaraderie.

Police kept their guns raised on the fire exit after an employee unexpectedly ran from the cafe

Police are stationed behind a ballistic shield with weapons drawn outside the fire door where a hostage escaped from

Police officers were spotted climbing through the first floor window above the Lindt cafe to help evacuate those inside

Scores of police surrounded the cafe in Martin Place amid claims the terrorist was also armed with a machete and may have explosives

Armed police sealed off streets around the cafe and Martin Place railway station remains closed

Police heavily armed with weapons covered all corners of Martin Place

Thousands of workers were evacuated from the buildings in Martin Place and were directed to another area

People in the area encompassing Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place were directed to remain indoors and stay away from open windows

Emergency services shut down the area surrounding Martin Place as they continued the operation

A Lindt cafe employee, who was due to start her shift just an hour after the Sydney hostage drama unfolded, said she was 'shaking with fear' when the gunman arrived.

Kathryn Chee, a chocolatier at the cafe said she meant to turn up early for her 11am shift because the business had been so busy in the lead up to Christmas.

'It shakes me to the bone,' Ms Chee told the ABC. She said her colleagues who are now hostages are 'people who I hold like another family'.

'It's good I'm not there but I wish I could be there for them. That could be me standing there.'

Ms Chee said the young woman seen in footage holding an Islamic flag pressed against the window had 'a look of sheer horror on her face'.

She says the woman is a thoughtful colleague who bakes treats for people's birthdays.

Ms Chee said the male hostage seen in the TV footage is a funny guy who jokes with the customers.

Hostages: People could be seen with their hands pressed against the window of the Lindt cafe in Sydney

Police shut down Martin Place train station and office buildings in the area were evacuated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the incident as 'deeply concerning' but said police were well equipped to respond

Witnesses have described the chaotic scenes in Martin Place as the area was shut down and scores of police surrounded the building

The Seven Network newsroom, which is in a building opposite the cafe, was among the first to be evacuated, immediately followed by the nearby Westpac building and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Surrounding buildings soon followed or went into lockdown.

Even the city's courts, including the venerable Downing Centre building, were sealed for the day, with police quickly vacating the areas.

Rosemary Healion, who works at Frederick Jordan Chambers, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning that 'a couple hundred' of her colleagues were inside at the time of the attack.

'My colleagues are still in there. They're trying to get them out now,' Ms Healion told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Healion said her office was on the ground floor, the same one as Lindt and they had been pushed behind the office's reception area.

'I'm so so worried as you would be. I was about to walk into the cafe. I get coffee there all the time.'

Armed police evacuated office staff next to the Lindt cafe on Monday afternoon

Police helped direct employees who were in lockdown in a building near the cafe under siege

Three women were pictured rushing through Philip Street past armed police as they fled Martin Place

It is unclear how many people are involved in the siege in a Lindt cafe in Martin Place but people could be seen with their hands pressed against the windows (second window)

At least two gunmen are involved in the siege but dozens of armed police have sealed off the streets surrounding the site

WHAT IS THE SHAHADA FLAG? Held up to a window by terrified hostages, a black flag covered in white Arabic was the first sign that the Martin Place siege could be linked to extremist Islam. Witnesses initially believed that it was the standard of ISIS. However, close examination revealed it was in fact the Shahada flag, bearing the words 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' It is used by the extremist group, Jabhat al Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria. But it has meaning for all Muslims, in that the Shahada is the Islamic Creed, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which is recited by Muslims when they pray. The flag displayed at the Lindt cafe Advertisement

Window cleaner, David Wilson, managed to get a birds-eye-view of police swarming into Martin Place as he and a colleague cleaned the windows of a building across from Lindt.

'We were looking around and there were cops running around and guns drawn. Some people came out, they looked like just coffee drinkers and that was about all we saw,' Mr Wilson said, adding that his colleague's first response was to get out his phone and start filming.

Rodrigo Neryt was arriving at Channel Seven for his first day of work experience when he heard screaming out the front of the cafe.

'I was at the corner when everything started. I saw people yelling and screaming and two police cars arriving at the scene. I saw what looked like a black ISIS flag and they were holding it up'

John Edwards works across the road from the cafe on the ninth floor of 53 Martin Place.

He said every floor of the building had been cleared about 11.15am.

'We were evacuated out of the building from the basement,' Mr Edwards told Daily Mail Australia.

'All we were told by security was to get out.'

Lindt Australia issued a statement about the siege on its Facebook page.

'We are deeply concerned over this serious incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the staff and customers involved and all their friends and families,' they said.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Martin Place was the planned location of a terror plot. It was alleged in September that Omarjan Azari, the 22-year-old Sydney man arrested on terrorism charges, was planning a public beheading there.

The alleged terror plot, mentioned in a conversation between now deceased Australian terrorism recruiter in Syria, Mohammad Ali Barylei and Azari, involved selecting a member of the public at random, beheading them and then covering their body in a flag.

The whole incident was going to be filmed, and then used as propaganda for the Islamic State cause. Federal prosecutors said the alleged terror plot was 'clearly designed to shock, horror and terrify the community'

Police Prosecutor Michael Allnutt said that Azari had made a threat which involved a 'random selection of persons to execute' during a telephone conversation with Baryalei.

Azari was arrested on September 18 and charged with preparing for an act of terrorism.

He is due in court this week for a bail application.

Thousands of office workers relocated from Martin Place to Sydney's Hyde Park

Patients from the nearby Sydney Hospital patients were also evacuated alongside office workers