Answer
The siege at Lindt Cafe lasted approximately 17 tense and harrowing hours. It unfolded on December 15, 2014, in Martin Place, Sydney, Australia, when a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, held 18 people hostage inside the popular Lindt Chocolate Cafe. The protracted standoff concluded with a tactical police operation to neutralize the assailant and secure the release of the hostages.