French journalist killed in Homs, others injured

A French journalist has been killed in the Syrian city of Homs, a photographer with the AFP news agency reports. Other reporters, including one Belgian, were injured when a mortar shell hit them, he said.

AFP/Youtube

Syria’s Interior Ministry acknowledged that an incident involving foreign journalists had taken place in the city, which is one of the centres of protest against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but said it had no details.

The blast took place during a visit authorised by the Syrian authorities, who have strictly limited foreign journalists’ access to the country since the protests started.

This is the first death of a Western journalist during the unrest.

Six Syrians were also killed, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which called for an inquiry.

Opposition activists have accused the authorities of being behind the attack.