SYDNEY - A man has been shot dead by police after assaulting a woman at a property east of Melbourne in Australia's state of Victoria.

A police statement said on Wednesday night that officers were called to reports of the assault in the town of Yarra Junction, about 55 km east of Melbourne, at about 5:30 pm local time on Wednesday.

Two officers arrived and observed the man assaulting a woman. As a result of the confrontation, one of the officers fired their gun and struck the man.

Ambulance crews were called to the scene but he could not be revived.

The woman was airlifted to hospital to be treated for serious injuries.

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According to police, the man and woman were known to each other. A crime scene has been established and detectives from the homicide squad will investigate the incident.  

Separately, a man was fatally shot in a suspected targeted attack on Thursday in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in Australia's state of Victoria.

Police in the state of Victoria said on Thursday that the 21-year-old male victim was approached and shot by an unknown man in a laneway behind a home in Wollert, about 24 km north of central Melbourne, shortly before 9 am local time.

Emergency services attended and attempted to revive the 21-year-old, but he was declared deceased at the scene. The offender fled the scene in a vehicle.

At this early stage in the investigation, detectives believe the shooting was a targeted attack.

No arrests have been made at this stage and a crime scene has been established.