A total of 119 journalists have been killed while on assignment so far this year, the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) said
This is the highest toll since 1997 when the IPI started keeping track. In Syria alone, 36 journalists were killed this year, Xinhua reported.
A photo journalistu00a0gets injured while covering the Syrina conflict this year. Photo: AFP
The press watchdog said it had observed an "alarming trend" of journalists increasingly being targeted, often in order to "prevent information disclosure".
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After Syria, Somalia is also dangerous for journalists, the IPI said, with 16 deaths in 2012, followed by Mexico, Pakistan, and the Philippines.