Three people were confirmed killed after heavily armed Australian police stormed the besieged Lindt Cafe in Sydney early Tuesday morning.br br After a hostage situation that lasted 17 hours, loud bangs were heard coming from Lindt Cafe and several people seen running to safety with their hands up in the air.br br Police stormed the cafe immediately after and heavy gunfire followed at about 2 a.m. local time, according to a Reuters report.br br A woman was seen being carried outside the cafe by officers while two hostages were carried away on stretchers. br br A bomb disposal robot together with bomb squad members were sent to the cafe to look for possible explosives.br br Police say two female hostages and a male police officer sustained non-life threatening injuries. A fourth person is believed to have been injured, but their conditions remains unknown.br br Police identified the gunman as 50-year-old Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee and self-proclaimed “sheikh” who moved to Australia in 1996. Monis’ past includes charges of sexual assault and of being an accessory to murder.br br ----------------------------------------­---------------------br br Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.