Russian ambassador shot dead – as it happened: Andrey Karlov assassinated at Ankara photo exhibition

Andrey Karlov was shot in the back as he made a speech

Man shouts 'We die in Aleppo, you die here' after shooting dead Russian ambassador to Turkey

The Russian ambassador to Turkey has died after being shot in the capital city of Ankara. Andrey Karlov was shot in the back as he made a speech at a photo exhibition in the Turkish capital.

Latest updates

• Andrew Karlov shot in the back while making speech
• Russian ambassador dies of his wounds
• Attacker 'was police officer'
• Attacker allegedly shouted "We die in Aleppo, you die here"
• Russia calls assassination 'a terrorist act'

Read our liveblog of the aftermath of the attack as it happened

Mr Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted "Allahu akbar" and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

Mr Karlov died of his wounds, Russia's state-run RIA news agency reported, citing an unnamed source.

There was no official confirmation of the death from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Turkish police shot and killed the gunman, Turkey's NTV reported.

Russia has said it regards the killing of its ambassador to Ankara "as a terrorist attack".

"Today in Ankara as a result of an attack, the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Turkey, Andrey Gennadyevich Karlov, received a wound from which he died," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We regard this as a terrorist act."

Mr Karlov had represented Russia in the country since 2013.

[19 December 2016 22:20 · Justin Carissimo]

Iran just announced temporary closures of consulates in Istanbul, Trabzon, and Erzurum following today's shooting, per BuzzFeed News.

[19 December 2016 22:27 · Justin Carissimo]

Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici was covering Monday's galery event, he recounted the shooting in a blog post for the news agency.

"The event was routine enough — the opening of an exhibit of photographs of Russia — and when a man on stage pulled out a gun I thought it was a theatrical flourish," he wrote.

"It was anything but. Moments later the Russian ambassador was sprawled on the floor and the attacker was waving his gun at the rest of us, shouting slogans. He shot the ambassador at least once more at close range and smashed some of the framed photos on the wall. In all there were at least eight shots."

"Guests ran for cover, hiding behind columns and under tables. I composed myself enough to shoot pictures."

[19 December 2016 23:07 · Justin Carissimo]

US President-elect Donald Trump condemned the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday. He said the killing was carried out by a "radical Islamic terrorist" who violated "all rules of civilized order."

In a statement from his transition team, Trump offered his condolences to the family of Andrei Karlov, who was fatally shot during an event at an art gallery in Ankara.