Journalists Murdered In Iraq

(Baghdad) The bullet-riddled bodies of three Al-Arabiya television journalists were found earlier today in Samarra, the site of yesterday's Askariya mosque attack.

The three, all Iraqi citizens, included a prominent female television correspondent, 26-year-old Atwar Bahjat (right), her cameraman and her soundman, Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, 39, and Adnan Khairallah, 36.

From E & P:

Bahjat had been reporting live Wednesday from the outskirts of Samarra, which security forces had sealed off after an explosion at a Shiite mosque.

Officials at the Dubai-based satellite news channel said they lost contact with their team after their last broadcast at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

A fourth team member managed to escape from the ambush and told police about the kidnappings. He said two gunmen pulled up in a pickup truck, shooting in the air and shouting: "We want the correspondent," The Associated Press quoted Al-Arabiya as reporting.

"Atwar was in the news van and shouted to the crowd to help her. The crew tried to speak to the gunmen, but they snatched them and took them an unknown location (sic). By this time, night had fallen," Reuters quoted Al-Arabiya's Baghdad correspondent Ahmed al-Saleh as telling viewers.

Their bullet-riddled bodies were found by their vehicle near the town of Dawr. Notably, by all indications, these journalists were specifically targeted. I have to presume that this is one of the finer examples of how followers of the religion of peace do Allah's good work.

Condolences to the families and friends of Atwar Bahjat, Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, and Adnan Khairallah.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.