ABC camera crew ambushed and killed in Iraq

David Edwards and Nick Juliano

Published: Friday May 18, 2007 Print This Email This

Two Iraqi journalists working for ABC News were ambushed and killed in Iraq Thursday, the network announced today.

Alaa Uldeen Aziz, a cameraman, and soundman Saif Laith Yousuf were killed by unknown assailants as they returned home from work at ABC News's Baghdad bureau Thursday afternoon, according to the network.

The death's of Aziz, 33, and Yousuf, 26, brings the total number of journalists killed in Iraq this year to 11, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Since 2003, the year of the US invasion, 104 journalists have lost their lives in Iraq, according to the group.

ABC said Aziz and Yousuf were ambushed by two cars full of gunmen and forced out of their vehicle. The two men could not be found last night, and their deaths were confirmed this morning.

"They really are our eyes and ears in Iraq," ABC Baghdad correspondent Terry McCarthy said on Good Morning America. "Many places in Baghdad are just too dangerous for foreigners to go now. ... Without them we are blind, we cannot see what's going on."



