Melbourne's hostage situation

THE MELBOURNE HOSTAGE SITUATION

4PM

* Police respond to a call about an explosion at an apartment building in Brighton

* They find a dead man in the foyer, he appears to have been shot

* They start trying to negotiate with a man inside an apartment, who was holding a woman against her will.

5.41PM

* Seven Network Melbourne newsroom gets a call from a woman who says she's involved in a hostage situation

* A man takes over the phone call to say "This is for IS, this is for al-Qaeda."

* Seven calls police to report the call.

6PM

* A gunman leaves the building and opens fire on police, injuring three of them

* Police fire back and kill him

* The woman is freed

* Two police officers are taken to hospital with gunshot wounds, a third is treated at the scene.

8PM

* Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp says police are investigating terrorism as one avenue of inquiry.

SOURCE: Victoria Police, Seven Network