Alaa Abdul-Karim al-Fartoosi

Al-Forat

January 29, 2008, in Balad, Iraq

Alaa Abdul-Karim al-Fartoosi, a cameraman, and driver Alaa Aasi were killed by a roadside bomb as they entered the town of Balad, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Baghdad, at around 6:15 p.m., according to the director of external relations for the channel, Mihssen Mohammad Hussein.

The driver and cameraman were traveling with correspondent Fatima al-Hassani and camera assistant Haidar Kathem when the device exploded. Al-Hassani sustained broken bones in her legs and fractures to her knees, Hussein told CPJ. Kathem sustained light injuries, he said.

Hussein said the crew was filming a report to commemorate the second anniversary of the bombing of the Askariya shrine in Samarra.

Abbas al-Issawi, director-general of Al-Forat, told CPJ it was not clear whether the crew was deliberately targeted. The satellite channel, established in 2004, is backed by the powerful Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, a Shiite political party led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.

Medium: Television

Job: Camera Operator

Beats Covered: War

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: No

Type of Death: Crossfire/Combat-Related

Suspected Source of Fire: Political Group