Members of the Australian Muslim community pray after placing floral tributes amongst thousands of others near the Lindt cafe, where hostages were held for over 16-hours, in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Heavily armed Australian police stormed the Syd
Members of the Australian Muslim community pray after placing floral tributes amongst thousands of others near the Lindt cafe, where hostages were held for over 16-hours, in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Heavily armed Australian police stormed the Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed a number of hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which three people including the attacker were killed. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: RELIGION CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

The aftermath of the Sydney siege has left New Zealand on alert for a similar incident. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key revealed that intelligence agencies are currently monitoring individuals in the country with the same characteristics as the man behind Australia's hostage drama.

Three people have died after Australian police stormed the Lindt café in Martin Place in an attempt to rescue the hostages. Two of the hostages had died while the gunman, Man Haron Manis, was killed in the crossfire. According to Stuff.co, Mr Key said New Zealand's risk assessment has not changed following the tragic incident in Australia. The prime minister had confirmed that there are about 30 to 40 individuals who were identified as a threat to the country's national security.

Mr Key said individuals who may be considered as risks to national security may be disenfranchised or "mentally unwell" since they are often susceptible to the ideology of ISIS often promoted in social media. He believes that these characteristics have a "toxic combination" which may manifest in attacks like what happened in Canada and Australia.

Following the news of the end of the Sydney siege, Mr Key said he has exchanged text messages with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and planned to call him to express New Zealand's sympathies. Earlier in the year, Mr Key had revealed that some ISIS supporters in New Zealand were actively plotting a domestic terror attack since they can't travel to the Middle East.

Mr Key had warned of ISIS' danger since the group is well-funded. Militants are also actively recruiting via social media and encouraging others to carry out domestic attacks. The prime minister said it would be "naïve" for people to think that the Sydney siege could not happen in New Zealand. He acknowledged that the risk is always present as there are people who may be attracted to the teachings of radical Islam and ISIS propaganda.

New Zealand had passed the new anti-terror bill with 94 votes against 27, according to a New Zealand Herald report. The government follows the tightening of anti-terror laws in other countries like Britain and Australia. Mr Key had remarked that the events in Sydney's Martin Place only showed how dangerous ISIS' influence can be even if the group has no direct involvement.

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