Australian Foreign Ministry evacuates staff due to suspicious package

Australian police said on December 16 that the country's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the capital Canberra evacuated staff after discovering a suspicious package in the building's canteen area.

Australia is under a state of high security after police rescued hostages held by a gunman at the Lindt Chocolat cafe in central Sydney in the early hours of December 16. In the rescue operation, which took place after 16 hours of hostage-taking, police killed the perpetrator; 15 hostages were rescued and 2 hostages were killed in the incident.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on December 16 that Man Haron Monis, the Iranian gunman who took hostages, was a fanatical extremist. Speaking at the first press conference after the hostage rescue operation ended, Prime Minister Abbott stated that Monis had long been on the Australian authorities' watch list due to his criminal record.

He affirmed that the hostage rescue operation at the Lindt Chocolat cafe was a “terror raid”, thereby showing that Australia is ready to deal with terrorist attacks professionally and according to the law.

Also at the press conference, Mr. Abbott sent his condolences to the families of those who died in the hostage situation, and affirmed that Australian authorities will investigate the incident.

Man Haron Monis, 50, is of Iranian origin and was granted political asylum in Australia in 1996. Monis was charged with being an accessory to murder last year and was released on bail, while also being accused of dozens of sexual assaults.

In 2012, he was convicted of sending hate mail to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Monis often described himself as a Muslim leader acting as a “spiritual healer”. He also posted pictures of dead children on his website, blaming US and Australian air strikes for the tragedy.

According to VNA