Sydney Siege: Dramatic new footage shows sniper on roof opposite cafe

At one point the sniper says, "Window two, hostage down'

Sydney Siege: Dramatic new footage shows sniper on roof opposite cafe. (Channel 7 | Associated Press)

New footage from the storming of the café in Sydney on Tuesday shows a sniper positioned in a building opposite the hostage scene and provides new images of the moment when police ended the siege.

Man Haron Monis took 17 people hostage for 16 hours on Monday before the siege ended in a blaze of gunfire. Two hostages died, along with Monis himself.

The new footage was broadcast by Channel 7 and it shows commandos inside the Lindt café and a series of flashes as the raid takes place. The video also shows a sniper inside Channel 7's newsroom monitoring events and the movement of Monis. At one point the sniper says, "Window two, hostage down".

Channel 7's newsroom is located opposite the café in Martin Place in Sydney's Central Business District (CBD) and was evacuated soon after the siege began. However, police allowed a senior reporter and a cameraman inside the building to watch events unfold.

Since the siege ended in the early hours of Tuesday, Australians have been pouring into Martin Place to pay their respects for the two hostages who died, with flowers spilling across the floor just a block from the site of the café. Former Australian prime minister John Howard was one of the many mourners.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird praised the police response and the people of Sydney for the way they dealt with the aftermath of the incident, saying the "city's heart was beating again".

It emerged that the café gunman had been the subject of an extradition request from Iran, used to be on a national security watchlist – and yet still held a legitimate Australian gun licence.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised an immediate investigation into how such a “deeply disturbed” individual was not only free on bail but also entitled to own a gun.