The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the reported killing of two Syrian journalists in Damascus on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012.

According to various news reports, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) announced on Sunday that one of its reporters, Ali Abbas, was killed by members of an ‘armed terrorist group’ at his home residence in Damascus.

Abbas was head of the Agency’s Internal News Department.

In an unrelated event, Bara’a Yusuf al-Bushi of the pan-Arab satellite news channel Al Arabiya was killed on assignment in a bomb attack in Al Tal, a suburb in northern Damascus, AP reported.

According to the same report, al-Bushi, a Syrian national and army defector, also provided information to other international news agencies.

Both journalists were killed on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

Meanwhile, reports surfaced today that a missing cameraman from the pro-regime Al Ikhbariya TV station is believed to be dead.

Al Ikhbariya TV reported the kidnapping of one of its cameraman and three other employees by rebel forces last Friday, August 10, while they covered violence in Al Tal, northern Damascus, AP reported.

The general manager of Al-Ikhbariya TV reportedly believes that the missing cameraman is dead, after a man who identified himself as a rebel spokesman appeared to confirm the death in an online video. The video also appeared to depict the three remaining members of the team who claimed they were being well treated by the rebel forces, according to AP reports.

It is important to note that the content of the video has not been independently verified.

According to IPI’s Death Watch, 32 journalists have been killed in Syria this year making it the deadliest country for journalists.