Iraq : two journalists killed

Two journalists were killed by the Islamic State (IS) Group on Friday 7 July in a village south of Mosul.  The IFJ and its affiliate the Iraqi Journalist Syndicate (IJS) have condemned the killings and are calling on journalists to take utmost care when covering the conflict in Iraq. Reporter Harb Hazza al- Dulaimi and cameraman Sudod el Takriti al-Duri, working for Hano Salaheddin television were killed on Friday as they covered the Iraqi security forces' counter-attack against IS forces to take back the village of Imam Gharbi,  70 km south of Mosul. Reports say the village had been infiltrated by IS forces on Wednesday 5 July. A number of civilians and military were killed or wounded in the attack. Two more journalists were captured and were later released. “We are very saddened by these additional losses which bring the total number of journalists killed in Iraq to 6 this year”, said IFJ President Philippe Leruth. “We urge our colleagues on the ground and their employers to take all necessary steps to avoid taking unnecessary risks in covering the war in Iraq”.   IJS president Moaid al Lami, has published a statement condemning the killings and sends his condolences to the journalists’ families. He has called on the Iraqi government to support the protection of journalists covering the war. Earlier this month, French journalists Stephan Villeneuve and Véronique Robert as well as Kurdish journalist Bakhtiyar Addad working as a fixer for the French journalists, were killed after being hit by a landmine blast in the city of Mosul. Check heightIFJ safety guidelines.
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 16 The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 141 countries Follow the IFJ on Twitter and Facebook Subscribe to IFJ News