Kurdish woman reporter killed by bomb blast in Mosul

A female reporter working for Iraqi Kurdish channel Rudaw was killed by the explosion of a roadside bomb on 25 February during fighting between government forces and jihadists in Mosul. The IFJ and its affiliate the Kurdish Journalists Syndicate (KJS) mourn the death of the journalist. Shifa Gardi, 30, who worked for Iraqi Kurdish channel Rudaw, was killed by a roadside bomb as she covered the advance of Iraqi forces into western areas held by the Islamic State. Her cameraman, Yunis Mustafa, was injured in the explosion. The KJS expressed its deep sadness for the loss of the journalist and its solidarity with Gardi’s family. IFJ president Philippe Leruth said: “The IFJ is deeply affected by the death of Shifa Gardi, a young and brave journalist, who cracked the media “glass ceiling” and covered one of the most dangerous conflicts in the world. We send our sincere condolences to her family and colleagues at Rudaw”. The news of Gardi’s passing triggered outpouring tributes from the public and the media around the world.   According to IFJ statistics, Iraq is one of the deadliest region for journalists in the world with 15 journalists killed in 2016.