Wissam Ali Ouda

Al-Afaq

May 21, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq

Ouda, 32, a cameraman for Al-Afaq television, was returning home from an assignment at about 5 p.m. when he was shot in the Obaidi district of Baghdad, according to CPJ interviews and news reports.

Station spokeswoman Bushra Abdul-Amir told Reuters that witnesses reported seeing ‎Ouda shot by an "American sniper." A witness interviewed by CPJ said that he believed Ouda was struck by a U.S. military sniper deployed on top of a nearby communications building. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns. Al-Afaq correspondent Tariq Maher told Reuters that the shooting occurred during crossfire.

The U.S. military disputed the account. A military spokesman told CPJ that U.S. forces had halted operations in the area at the time of the shooting. "Operational reports indicate that coalition forces conducted these targeted operations between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. After 9 a.m., our efforts changed to conduct routine patrol of the streets of Baghdad," U.S. Army Lt. Col. Maura A. Gillen said in an e-mail to CPJ.

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: Military Officials