French journalist killed covering Syrian uprising

The Associated Press

BEIRUT -- A French TV cameraman became the first Western journalist killed in the 10-month-old Syrian uprising yesterday, dying in a barrage of grenades during a government-sponsored trip to the city of Homs, officials and a witness said.

The violence came just hours after President Bashar Assad made a surprise appearance at a rally in the capital, Damascus, joining thousands of supporters in a show of confidence as the conflict enters a dangerous and violent new phase.

The killing of Gilles Jacquier, who worked for France-2 Television, was likely to become a rallying cry for both sides, as the regime and the opposition blame each other for a recent spate of mysterious attacks.

The government blamed "terrorists" for yesterday's attack, which it said also killed eight Syrians.

About 15 journalists were on the government trip when they were hit by several grenades, according to Jens Franssen, who was on the tour. "At some point, three or four [grenade] shells hit, very close to us," Franssen told the Belgian VRT network.

Video footage posted on YouTube appeared to show the aftermath of the attack, with people frantically loading the injured into cars. There were pools of blood on the ground. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified.

A Dutch freelance journalist was also wounded in Homs; it wasn't immediately clear whether he was part of the trip.

Jacquier, 43, was the first foreign journalist to be slain, Reporters Without Borders said. He had reported over the years from Afghanistan, Gaza, Congo, Iraq and Yemen, most recently for the investigative program Special Envoy, his network said.

"It's up to Syrian authorities to ensure the security of international journalists on their territory, and to protect this fundamental liberty which is the freedom of information," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said.

During the uprising, several Syrian journalists have been killed or tortured as they tried to cover the revolt, which has proven the most serious challenge to the Assad family's 40-year dynasty.