At least 69 journalists were killed in the line of duty this year, and Islamic militant groups such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda were responsible for 40 percent of the deaths, a press advocacy group reported Tuesday.

The group, the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in its annual tally that it was still investigating the deaths of 26 other journalists this year to determine if they were related to their work.

The documented total is slightly higher this year than last, when 61 journalists were killed worldwide, the group said.

France, where militants killed eight staff members at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in January, was the second-deadliest country for journalists in 2015 after Syria, where 13 journalists were killed.