REVEALED: Gunman who has up to 15 people hostage in Sydney cafe is a self-styled sheik from Iran who arrived in Australia in 1996 and is on bail over murder of his ex-wife

Terror siege in central Sydney stretches into the night after gunman raids busy cafe at morning peak hour
Witnesses described hostages as looking 'pained, strained' as drama enters its 12th hour
Food was brought in to the hostages from the cafe kitchen as darkness fell, and the lights were turned off inside
Five people, including three cafe workers, were able to flee to safety, leaving up to 15 people inside
Gunman was described as 'extremely agitated' after learning some hostages had escaped
He stormed the Lindt cafe in Martin Place during the morning rush hour stopped anyone from leaving
He forced hostages to hold up black flag with white writing in Arabic, an emblem linked to terror groups
Police commanders say they will be patient while no one has been hurt and want to end the siege without violence

Man Haron Monis - also known as Sheik Haron - has been named as the gunman holding up to 15 people hostage in a Sydney café and is believed to be an Islamic State preacher who is on bail for accessory to murder.

The 49-year-old man lives in southwest Sydney, but is originally from Iran and a self-proclaimed sheik, and has previously accused the families of Australian dead soldiers of being murderers in letters and also been charged with sexual assault, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Arriving as a refugee in Australia in 1996, the hostage-taker was charged with accessory - both before and after the fact - for the murder of his ex-wife - who was allegedly stabbed and set on fire on a flight of stairs in her apartment building in Sydney.

The man's current partner was charged with murder but they both received bail as the case was deemed too weak.

He was also arrested 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 also repored.

As many as 15 hostages seized by a gunman who stormed a Sydney cafe at morning rush hour on Monday are facing a terrifying night as a siege in the centre of the city continued after dark, hours after five captives made a courageous break for freedom.

Three videos were released on YouTube of the hostages declaring the gunman's demands, which included the police bringing an ISIS flag to the cafe and insisting that he speak with Prime Minister Tony Abbott - however Daily Mail Australia decided not to air the disturbing footage.

Channel Nine reported the gunman's name after receiving approval from senior police.

Witnesses saw food prepared in the cafe's kitchen brought out to the remaining hostages, thought to number between ten and 15, as the stand-off with heavily armed police entered its twelfth hour.

The drama began unfolding around 9,30 am, when a 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 to the business.