Fourth Iraqi journalist killed during Fallujah battles

An Iraqi photographer was killed and another was injured during their coverage of the battles between Iraqi forces and Daesh in Fallujah, the Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

Iraqi Colonel Mohamed Ibrahim said the photographer Fadel Al-Garaawi was killed and his colleague was wounded while covering the ongoing battles between the Iraqi forces and Daesh, noting that he was hit by a mortar round.

“Al-Garaawi immediately died due to the fatal injuries he had sustained and his colleague was wounded,” the colonel said.

AFP reported that Al-Garaawi was killed in Al-Shuhada neighbourhood in the south of Fallujah, stating that this neighbourhood had been recaptured by Iraqi forces just before the photographer was killed.

According to AFP, three armed members of the Iraqi security forces were also killed in the same incident.

Prior to the death of Al-Garaawi, three other journalists worked for local Iraqi media organisations were killed during their coverage of the ongoing battle in the war-torn city.

On 23 May a vast offensive was launched to recapture Fallujah, which has been out of government control since January 2014 and is one of Daesh’s main strongholds.