LOC17:48
14:48 GMT
BRUSSELS, May 27 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Wednesday urged the UN to investigate the killing of two Yemeni journalists last Thursday in the southwestern province of Dhamar after being kidnapped by Houthi rebels.
According to media reports, Yemeni Shabab TV correspondent Abdullah Kabil and Shuhail TV correspondent Yousef Alaizry were kidnapped by the Houthis last Wednesday, 20 May while coming back from covering a tribal leaders' meeting against the rebels.
Both journalists were arrested and held in a seismic monitoring center in Mount Oran. Then they were among the dead in the bombing of the center by the Saudi-led coalition, just one day after their kidnapping, said an IFJ statement.
Some media reported that they had been used as a human shield during the assault, it noted. Their bodies have been recently discovered.
IFJ President Jim Boumelha said: "We are dismayed by this shameful disregard to the life of these Yemeni colleagues who were deliberately put at risk, leading to their killing".
"We strongly condemn the use of journalists as political pawns and bargaining chips in any war or conflict. We consider that holding civilians in known military targets during conflicts is a such a case and we urge the United Nations and its envoy to Yemen to investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable," he added.
Kabil and Alaizry's killings bring to eight the number of journalists and media staff killed in Yemen since the start of the year, according to the Brussels-based IFJ. (end)
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