Sydney hostage crisis: One employee is ours, says Infosys

Indian-owned software multinational Infosys on Monday confirmed that that one of its employees is among those taken hostage by an alleged gunman at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney.

"We can confirm that one Infosys employee is among the hostages at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. We are also in the process of confirming the whereabouts of all our other employees in the city," a statement by the company said.

Infosys further states that the family of the employee has been informed and that the company will extend all possible support to them during the crisis.

"We are in constant touch with the local authorities and Indian Consulate in Sydney for updates on the situation on ground. We hope that this situation gets resolved peacefully and at the earliest. Our prayers are with the families of all involved," the statement added.

Earlier in the day, an armed man took an undisclosed number of people hostage at the Martin Place Cafe in Sydney and displayed a black flag with Arabic script in the window, sparking a security alert in Australia.

Authorities in Australia have reportedly sealed off surrounding streets in Sydney, evacuated people from buildings, and suspended rail services following the incident.