Al Jazeera says cameraman killed in eastern Libya

Al Jazeera says cameraman killed in eastern Libya

2011-03-13 03:03:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

BENGHAZI, LIBYA (BNO NEWS) -- The Al Jazeera news network said on Saturday that one of its cameraman was killed near the rebel-held city of Benghazi in Libya.

The station said Ali Hassan Al Jaber was returning to Benghazi from a nearby town after filing a report from an opposition protest when unknown fighters opened fire on the three-member team, wounding two of them. Al Jaber was rushed to hospital, but it was too late.

Wadah Khanfar, the director-general of Al Jazeera, says the network "will not remain silent" and will pursue those behind the ambush through legal channels.

This is the first death of a journalist since the Libyan uprising began. This week, three journalists from the BBC, who were trying to cover the situation in the western city of Zawiya, were beaten with fists, knees and rifles, hooded and subjected to mock executions by members of the Libyan army and secret police. The United Nations human rights chief condemned the detention and possible torture of the news team by Libyan security forces.

The North African nation has been in turmoil since mid-February when protesters took to the streets demanding the ouster of long-time leader Muammar Al-Qadhafi. Between 1,000 and 10,000 people are believed to have been killed in the uprising, according to various estimates. Information has proved difficult to gather due to reporting restrictions by the Libyan government.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-13