Assassin shouts 'Allahu Akbar, don't forget Syria' after shooting Russian ambassador (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
The gunman who assassinated Russia's Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) and "don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!’ after carrying out the deadly attack.
Karlov was speaking at an art exhibition in Ankara named ‘Russia as seen by Turks’ when he was fatally injured.
LIVE UPDATES: Russian ambassador shot dead in Ankara
The gunman was killed by Turkish Special Forces, Turkish Anadolu news agency reports, and two other people were reportedly injured in the attack.
VIDEO: Gunman fires after murdering Russian Ambassador to #Turkey, Andrey Karlov, at Ankara exhibition pic.twitter.com/d3mFi3h22c
— IvorCrotty (@IvorCrotty) 19 December 2016
Video of the incident shows Karlov making a speech when gunshots ring out.
Numerous reports indicate the attacker shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great) in Arabic during the attack.
BREAKING PHOTO: Attacker on Russian ambassador pictured https://t.co/sj5VJm1yUVpic.twitter.com/iAMRDxwlRF
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"Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria! Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!” he shouted from the scene.
“You will not be safe,” he says, before shouting “Go back! Go back!” to someone apparently trying to approach him.
“Only death can take me away from here. Whoever has a role in this cruelty, they will pay for it one by one. They will," he continued.
READ MORE: Russian ambassador to Turkey dies after gun attack in Ankara – Foreign Ministry
He also spoke several words in Russian and damaged some of the photos at the exhibition. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu later confirmed that the gunman had been a police officer.
“This is a tragic day in the history of Russian diplomacy. Today, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov died after being shot at during a public event in Ankara,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Monday evening.