Orhan Hijran

Al-Rasheed

October 21, 2009, in Kirkuk, Iraq

Orhan Hijran, a cameraman with the Baghdad-based independent Al-Rasheed satellite television channel, was killed when a bomb exploded in front of his house in the Al-Khadhrah neighborhood of southwestern Kirkuk, Bureau Chief Jawdat Assaf told CPJ.

The bomb exploded in early afternoon as Hijran and Mohammed Abdullah Zadeh, a correspondent with Cairo-based Al-Baghdadia television, were returning home from an assignment. Abdullah Zadeh suffered minor injuries.

Roadside bombs often struck the southwestern area of Kirkuk, which was frequently traveled by the U.S. military, local journalists told CPJ. Assaf said the area where Hijran was killed included a police checkpoint and had been the target of more than a dozen roadside bombs.

Medium: Television

Job: Camera Operator

Beats Covered: Culture

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: No

Type of Death: Crossfire/Combat-Related

Suspected Source of Fire: Political Group