A man who died after holding up to 15 people hostage at gunpoint in a Sydney café has been named by police as self-styled Muslim cleric Haron Monis.
The 49-year-old, who lived in southwest Sydney but is originally from Iran, was reportedly killed in the siege today.
He first attracted attention by writing offensive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
He was also banned in 2010 from writing similar "letters of condolence" to British soldiers killed in that conflict.
It is believed Monis was out on bail after he was arrested earlier this year over sexual assault allegations stemming from 2002.
Sydney siege - in pictures
Police in that case alleged he put adverts in his local paper claiming to be a spiritual healer with expertise in astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic, and indecently and sexually assaulted a woman who visited him.
It is alleged he told the woman the attacks were part of a spiritual healing technique, and he warned the alleged victim not to tell anyone about them.
The 16-hour siege at the Lindt chocolate café reportedly saw one other person killed.
The city centre — including the nearby Sydney Opera House — was evacuated as police ordered office workers out of their buildings and tourists and Christmas shoppers were told to leave. Trains were ordered to pass through stations without stopping.
