Freelance journalist Sabah al-Bazee, 30, was killed in a bloody attack on a government building in Tikrit, along with over fifty people who were in the building when it was raided by armed gunmen yesterday, Reuters and other news agencies reported. <\/p>\n
Al-Bazee, who worked for Reuters and Al-Arabiya, was mortally wounded by shrapnel in an explosion at the provincial council building while attempting to report on the violent attack, reports say. A suicide bomber paved the way for a group of men, dressed as security forces, to storm the building. Eventually, Iraqi security forces backed by American helicopters managed to enter the building and kill the insurgents, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website.<\/p>\n
“He was a valued member of our team in Iraq and will be much missed by colleagues. This tragic incident shows yet again the risks journalists face daily in doing their jobs and to bring news to the world,\u201d Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephan Adler said in a statement from the agency. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are saddened at the news of the loss of a young journalist, Sabah Al-Bazee, who seems to have worked hard and been held in high esteem by his colleagues and friends,\u201d said IPI Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. \u201cWe urge the Iraqi authorities to hold to account who are responsible for this death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe death of this journalist is a stark reminder of the dangers journalists continue to face in Iraq. Although fewer journalists are being killed there than at the height of the 2003 invasion, Iraq remains one of the world\u2019s most dangerous countries for journalists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Al-Bazee is the third journalist to be killed in Iraq in 2011, according to the IPI DeathWatch.<\/p>\n