TURKEY: Revenge, Russian Ambassador To Turkey Shot Dead

Andrey Karlov , the Russian ambassador to Ankara, lying on the floor after being shot by a gunman (R) during an attack during a public event in Ankara. A gunman crying "Aleppo" and "revenge" shot Karlov while he was visiting an art exhibition in Ankara on December 19, witnesses and media reports said. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said the gunman had been "neutralised" in a police operation, without giving further details.

Andrei Karlov stumbles as the bullets hit him in the back, then comes crashing to the ground.

The press had come to cover the opening of a show at an Ankara exhibition hall Monday, but their cameras ended up capturing the chilling scene of the Russian envoy's murder at the hands of a Turkish policeman.

Images from shortly before the shooting showed a clean-shaven officer standing discreetly behind Karlov in a white shirt, dark suit and tie,apparently a bodyguard for the ambassador as he gave a speech at the exhibition.

But footage from minutes later showed the man brandishing his gun at shocked onlookers, jabbing his finger in the air and pacing backwards and forwards as Karlov lies motionless on his back.

He shouts "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") and then talks about pledging allegiance to jihad in accented Arabic, the images showed.

Switching to Turkish, he then says: "Don't forget about Syria, don't forget about Aleppo. All those who participate in this tyranny will be held accountable".

The terrified guests meanwhile cower behind tall cocktail tables laid out for the exhibition opening.

Immediately after the shooting at 19.05 (1605 GMT), police entered the building and were later followed by special forces, Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said the gunman had been "neutralised" in a police operation inside the hall after 15 minutes of clashes when he refused to surrender.

Photos showing the man lying on the ground, riddled with bullet wounds, quickly began to circulate on social media.

The Russian ambassador was taken to Ankara Hospital where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to revive him, Soylu said.

The minister identified the attacker as Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, who had worked in the Ankara anti-riot police for the last two-and-a-half years.

Reports said that his mother, father and sister were immediately detained for questioning in their home in western Turkey.

Ankara mayor Melih Gokcek speculated on his official Twitter account that the policeman may be linked to the group of exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July coup aimed at toppling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The shooting came on the eve of a crucial meeting between the Turkish, Russian and Iranian foreign ministers on the Syrian conflict.

AUSTRALIA: Backpacker Hotel Stabbing, Woman Killed

French national shouted "Allahu Akbar" as he attacked the group at Shelley's Backpackers in Home Hill, north Queensland, about 11.15pm on Tuesday.

One woman is dead and two other people injured after a stabbing at a backpacker hotel in Australia.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the investigation was still in early stages and it was unclear if the statements made by the alleged attacker at the scene were of an extremist nature.

"It is alleged that the suspect used the phrase 'Allahu Akbar' during the attack and when arrested by police," he said.

"Whilst this information will be factored into the information we are not ruling out any motivations at this early stage, whether they be political or criminal."

More than 30 people witnessed the knife attack that left the 21-year-old British woman dead. A 31-year-old British man remains in a critical condition.

Another person was taken to hospital with a stab wound to the leg but has since been released.

Superintendent Ray Rohweder said police were confronted by a terrible scene when they arrived at the hostel.

But both officers acted tremendously and ensured the safety of other persons at the venue, he said.

Rohweder said the officers asked the alleged attacker, who had sustained injuries to his arms, to lay on the ground before taking him into custody.

Investigators have the knife believed to have been used in the attack and are trying to piece together what occurred.

Police are yet to establish a motive for the incident, Rohweder said.

Officers have been in contact with British consular staff.

A 29-year-old French national, who has been in the country for some months, is expected to be charged over the attack.

SOMALIA: Al Shabaab Attack Restaurant In Mogadishu

The assailants may have taken some hostages inside the Liido Seafood restaurant, which is popular with Mogadishu’s elite and government officials, police said.

“The operation to dislodge the attackers is ongoing now. The attackers are still inside and fighting our troops,” a spokesman said from the scene of the attack as gunfire rang out in the background.

He said he had counted at least three bodies outside the restaurant. An unknown number of people are still trapped inside the restaurant, he said.

Witnesses said that gunmen shouted “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great,” and entered the restaurant from the direction of the beach as clients, sitting behind razor wire, watched the seashore.

“They randomly fired at the people sitting near the beach before entering the restaurant,” said witness Ahmed Nur, who was strolling along on the shoreline when the attack happened.

Gunmen have fought their way into a restaurant near a beach in Mogadishu after a suicide car bomber rammed the gates of the building, according to a Somali police official.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said he believes the attackers have taken some hostages inside the restaurant, which is popular with the city’s elite and government officials.

He said the attackers opened fire on the customers of the restaurant, known as Liido Seafood, on Thursday evening before storming the building.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the ongoing attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack on Kenyan peacekeepers in south-western Somalia last week.