(AP) - Sydney police say three people have died, including the gunman, during a hostage crisis that ended when officers stormed a downtown cafe.

Police said the gunman was killed in a confrontation with police early Tuesday morning. They said in a statement that a 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman also died. Four other people were injured.

Police said an investigation is underway because police were involved in an incident in which people died.

Heavily armed police stormed the cafe in the heart of Sydney, ending a siege by an Iranian-born gunman who had held an unknown number of hostages for more than 16 hours.

Local media have identified the gunman as an Iranian-born man (Man Haron Monis) who is facing charges including sexual assault and accessory to murder in separate cases.

Television images of through the cafe windows during the day Monday showed several people with their arms in the air and two people holding up a black flag with the Islamic declaration of faith written on it.