“I condemn the attack”, said Mr Matsuura. “Such indiscriminate killings are contrary to every law. Two journalists, Haider Hashim and Suhaib Adnan, were among the victims of this attack. I must, once again, urge the authorities to improve the safety of journalists, a profession of brave women and men whose work is important for society as a whole as it seeks to restore democracy and rule of law. The toll paid by the profession in Iraq is shocking”, the Director-General concluded.

The private TV broadcaster Al-Baghdadia said that their correspondent Haider Hashim was killed in the blast, as was cameraman Suhaib Adnan. Ibrahim al-Katib, a reporter for Iraqi state television, Iraqia TV, was gravely wounded.

This attack brings to 295 the number of Iraqi journalists killed in the country since April 2003, according to the Iraqi Journalists’ Syndicate.