US embassy in Ankara on lockdown after gunman shoots dead Russia’s ambassador to Turkey at nearby art gallery
The US State Department advised all citizens to avoid the area following "reports of a shooting near the US embassy"
THE US has put its embassy in Ankara on lockdown after the Russian ambassador to Turkey was gunned down at an art gallery nearby this afternoon.
In a tweet, the US State Department advised all citizens to avoid the area following reports of the shooting near the US embassy.
It stated: "Ongoing security incident near US Embassy. All US citizens should avoid area near Embassy compound until further notice."
The embassy is located around 2.5 miles from the art gallery where the shooting occurred today.
The alert came just moments after the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was shot dead at the photo exhibition.
He was killed by an off duty cop who shouted out "Aleppo" and "revenge" as he fired, an eyewitness claimed.
The video showed the attacker shouting: "Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria!"
The man then yelled: "Stand back! Stand back! Only death will take me out of here. Anyone who has a role in this oppression will die one by one."
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