Unidentified gunmen shot and killed journalist Hilal al-Ahmadi as he was leaving his home on Thursday morning, according to news reports. Two men opened fire with a submachine gun, hitting Ahmadi several times before escaping in a car. He died instantly.

The 50-year old journalist, and father of four, worked for two local weeklies in the northern town of Mosul: the Mosul Echo and Iraqiyoun.

Ahmadi was allegedly dismissed two weeks ago as head of the Ninawa provincial government’s media department.

A freelance journalist for over 30 years, al-Ahmadi’s writings covered financial and administrative corruption.

IPI Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills said: ”Journalists have been the target of violent attacks for too many years in Iraq, and impunity remains the tragic norm. Failure to bring the killers of journalists to justice emboldens those who use murder as the ultimate form of censorship.”

According to IPI’s research, Iraq was the most dangerous country to work in as a journalist every year from 2003 to 2008. The number of journalists killed there each year has since dropped, but 2010 remained deadly, with six journalists slain.