With a heart laden with sadness, Al Arabiya News Channel announces the death of its Iraq correspondent Atwar Bahjat, 30 years of age, and cameraman Khaled Mahmoud Al Falahi (39) and technician Adnan Khairallah (36), both of whom work for Wasan Media in Iraq.
According to eye witness accounts, a yet-to-be-identified armed group intercepted Atwar and her media team on the Dor road, north of Samarra. Iraqi security reports state the journalists were kidnapped and then killed as Atwar Bahjat was heading a team covering the attack on the holy sites of the two Imams - Ali Al Hadi and Hasan Al ‘Asakari - in Samarra.
The last live broadcast by Atwar took place at 15:00 GMT, while Al Arabiya’s newsroom last heard from her at 15:30 GMT.
Once again, Al Arabiya News Channel pays the ultimate price for persistently pursuing the truth. Until this new tragedy, Al Arabiya lost a total of eight colleagues in Iraq. Five of whom died in a car bomb that targeted Al Arabiya’s bureau in Baghdad, while three lost their lives as a result of US fire. Also, Jawad Khathem, Al Arabiya’s reporter in Iraq, was the target of an armed kidnap attempt that resulted in him being paralyzed from the waist down.
Al Arabiya wishes to extend its sincere condolences to the families of Atwar and her two colleagues. The channel also calls upon the authorities mandated with maintaining security - Iraqi and well as American - to look closely into measures to enhance the safety of journalists active in Iraq. Al Arabiya further calls on the Iraqi authorities to embark on an in-depth and transparent investigation into this triple-murder, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
ATWAR BAHJAT AL SAMORRA’I:
Born in 1976, Atwar was a holder of a BA in Arabic literature from Baghdad University. She embarked on a career in journalism early in her life, starting with print media before moving into broadcasting with the Iraqi Satellite Channel, Al Jazeera, and then Al Arabiya News channel in January 2006. Known for her professional integrity and objectivity, Atwar was also the embodiment of non-sectarian harmony - her father is a Sunni while her mother is a Shia Muslim.
