New York, November 1, 2004—An Iraqi freelance cameraman was killed today in the western city of Ramadi, Reuters news agency has reported.

Dhia Najim was shot in the head on Monday while covering fighting in his hometown of Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, Reuters said. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown, and CPJ is currently seeking more information.

Najim worked as a freelancer for Reuters and The Associated Press, among others.
Najim is the 36th journalist to be killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Another 18 media workers have been killed during the same time period. In 2004, at least 23 journalists and 16 media workers have been killed. Iraqi journalists, 17 of whom died on duty this year, now comprise nearly half of the overall toll.

Of the 36 journalists killed, 19 died from insurgent actions ranging from gunfire to suicide bombings to targeted killings. At least eight journalists were killed by fire from U.S. forces, the second highest cause of death. The remainder died at the hands of Iraqi armed forces during the combat phase of the war, or in crossfire from unclear sources.

CPJ is investigating three other deaths to determine whether the victims were killed for their journalistic work. At least two journalists remain missing.