23 Feb 2012

Two western journalists killed in Homs

8:21 am on 23 February 2012

Two western journalists have been killed by shellfire in the Syrian city of Homs.

American foreign correspondent Marie Colvin of the UK Sunday Times and French photojournalist Remi Ochlik died when a house from where they were reporting in the Baba Amr district was shelled by government forces.

At least two other foreign journalists were wounded.

One was named as British freelance photographer Paul Conroy, who was working with Ms Colvin, and Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro. Ms Bouvier is reportedly in a serious condition.

Opposition areas of Homs have been under siege since 4 February.

The Red Cross has called on the government and rebels to agree to a daily ceasefire, to allow medical supplies to reach the worst affected areas, but the BBC reports there is no sign yet of this being agreed.

Ms Colvin, in her 50s, had been a foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times for two decades, and had reported from several war zones. She lost the sight in one eye in Sri Lanka in 2001 after being hit by shrapnel.

Mr Ochlik, 28, had reported from Haiti and covered many of the recent uprisings in the Arab world.