Beijing, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military responded on Dec. 8 to the death of a Reuters reporter who was shelled by Israeli forces in mid-October, saying that the place of the incident was a battlefield and full of danger.
Lebanese journalists and civilians mourn photojournalist Issam Abdullah, who died in an Israeli bombing, in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon, on October 14. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Tahir Abu Hamdan).
According to a special report released by Reuters the day before, Issam Abdullah, a photojournalist of the news agency, and a number of other reporters were filming Israeli troops firing artillery on Lebanese territory on the border between Lebanon and Israel on October 13, and an Israeli tank fired two shells at them in succession, killing Abdullah and injuring six other journalists, including an AFP reporter, who was seriously injured.
The Israeli army issued a statement on the 8th, saying that on the day of the incident, Lebanese Allah armed forces attacked a number of Israeli targets. In one of the attacks, Allah forces fired an anti-tank missile that hit a border wall, followed by Israeli artillery and tanks to prevent Allah fighters from infiltrating Israel.
"This area is a zone of engagement and an exchange of fire is taking place," the statement said. It is dangerous to stay in this area. The incident is under investigation. (Hui Xiaoshuang).