Argentine journalist dies in Iraq

Argentine journalist dies in Iraq

Journalists have become victims of the war they were sent to cover

An Argentine camerawoman has become the first female journalist to die in Iraq since the war began, bringing the conflict's media fatalities to 14.

Veronica Cabrera, 28, was injured in a car crash that instantly killed her colleague, fellow Argentine war correspondent Mario Podesta.

Ms Cabrera was taken to hospital in Baghdad for treatment after a tyre on the pair's vehicle exploded on the road from the Jordanian border to the Iraqi capital.

Argentine authorities said she had died from the injuries sustained in the crash.

The journalists were freelancing for Argentine television station America TV and had previously worked together in Afghanistan.

They were trying to get to Baghdad before nightfall when the accident occurred near Ramadi, on the outskirts of the city.

'Gunshots'

Gunshots were reportedly heard at the scene.

There has been speculation that the driver lost control after trying to avoid what he feared may have been a shooting attack or attempted robbery.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was investigating the reports of gunfire.

MEDIA DEATHS IN IRAQ

15 April: Veronica Cabrera (America TV, Argentina)

14 April: Mario Podesta (America TV, Argentina)

8 April: Jose Couso (Telecinco, Spain)

8 April: Taras Protsyuk (Reuters, UK)

8 April: Tareq Ayoub (al-Jazeera, Qatar)

7 April: Christian Liebig (Focus, Germany)

7 April: Julio Anguita Parrado (El Mundo, Spain)

6 April: David Bloom (NBC, US)

6 April: Kamaran Abdurazaq Muhamed (BBC, UK)

4 April: Michael Kelly (Washington Post, US)

2 April: Kaveh Golestan (BBC, UK)

30 March: Gaby Rado (ITN, UK)

22 March: Paul Moran (ABC, Australia)

22 March: Terry Lloyd (ITN, UK)

Fourteen journalists have died in Iraq, including four who died as a result of coalition fire.

Two cameramen, working for Reuters and Spain's Telecinco, were killed when a shell hit the hotel which houses hundreds of foreign journalists. There is video footage of an American Abrams tank firing at the building.

Earlier, a correspondent for the Arabic TV broadcaster al-Jazeera was killed when US missiles hit the network's office.

BBC translator Kamaran Abdurazaq Muhamed was killed in a US bombing run aimed at an Iraqi tank.

The US Defense Department has expressed regret for the deaths of journalists, but said American forces were acting in self-defence, having encountered small-arms fire coming from the direction of the hotel.

Chief spokeswomen Victoria Clark said she had repeatedly warned news organisations that correspondents were "not safe in a war zone".

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) - which represents hundreds of thousands of journalists worldwide - has issued a statement condemning both sides in the conflict.