The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a shooting and hostage attack in Melbourne in which a man was killed and a woman was taken hostage before the terrorist was himself shot dead. Islamic State terrorist Yacqub Khayre, 29, took a woman hostage in an apartment building in the beachside suburb of Brighton, southeast of Melbourne's central business district. Police shot him dead after he emerged from the complex with a sawed-off shotgun shooting at officers, three of whom were wounded. Police then discovered the body of another man in the foyer of the building. The hostage was unharmed. According to the police, Khayre had arranged to meet a female escort at a block of serviced apartments in Brighton on Monday, and killed a staff member who arrived at the building. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq news agency, which said the attack was launched over Australia's membership in the U.S.-led coalition fighting against the militant Islamist group in Syria and Iraq. Police confirmed on Tuesday that Khayre was known to authorities, having been acquitted of a plot to attack a Sydney army base in 2009. "This terrorist attack by a known criminal, a man who was only recently released on parole, is a shocking, cowardly crime," Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in the capital, Canberra. "It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamist terrorism," he said. Victoria State Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said police were still investigating Islamic State's claim of responsibility. "We're aware of them having claimed responsibility, but then they always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens," he said. Police were also investigating a telephone call made to the newsroom of the Channel 7 TV network during the attack. The network reported that a male caller said, "This is for ISIS. This is for al-Qaida," and that a woman was heard screaming in the background. Ashton said evidence collected from a raid on Khayre's home indicated he likely acted alone and that there any further threat was over. Australia, a staunch ally of the United States, has been on heightened alert for attacks by homegrown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, or their supporters, since 2014. Police have foiled several major plots in recent years.
