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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Afghan bomb kills Mirror reporter | Afghan bomb kills Mirror reporter |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A British journalist has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said. | A British journalist has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said. |
| Sunday Mirror defence correspondent Rupert Hamer, 39, was embedded with the US Marine Corps when his vehicle was hit by a bomb near Nawa in Helmand. | Sunday Mirror defence correspondent Rupert Hamer, 39, was embedded with the US Marine Corps when his vehicle was hit by a bomb near Nawa in Helmand. |
| The father-of-three's Mirror colleague, photographer Philip Coburn, 43, is in a serious but stable condition. | The father-of-three's Mirror colleague, photographer Philip Coburn, 43, is in a serious but stable condition. |
| A US Marine was also killed in the blast on Saturday, and five of his colleagues were seriously injured. | |
| It had initially been reported that an Afghan soldier had also been killed but that was later corrected. | |
| 'Hugely popular' | 'Hugely popular' |
| The Mirror journalists had flown to the region on New Year's Eve for a month-long assignment. | |
| Mr Hamer had been a Sunday Mirror journalist for 12 years and was married with children aged six, five and 19 months. | Mr Hamer had been a Sunday Mirror journalist for 12 years and was married with children aged six, five and 19 months. |
| Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver said: "Rupert believed that the only place to report a war was from the front line and, as our defence correspondent, he wanted to be embedded with the US Marines at the start of their vital surge into southern Afghanistan." | Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver said: "Rupert believed that the only place to report a war was from the front line and, as our defence correspondent, he wanted to be embedded with the US Marines at the start of their vital surge into southern Afghanistan." |
| She added: "Affectionately known as Corporal Hamer in the office, he was a gregarious figure, a wonderful friend who was hugely popular with his colleagues." | She added: "Affectionately known as Corporal Hamer in the office, he was a gregarious figure, a wonderful friend who was hugely popular with his colleagues." |
| UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "deeply saddened by this tragic news". | UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "deeply saddened by this tragic news". |
| He said: "My heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of Rupert and Philip. | He said: "My heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of Rupert and Philip. |
| "Their courage, skill and dedication to reporting from the front line was incredibly important and ensured that the world could see and read about our heroic troops. | "Their courage, skill and dedication to reporting from the front line was incredibly important and ensured that the world could see and read about our heroic troops. |
| "Their professionalism and commitment to our forces will not be forgotten." | "Their professionalism and commitment to our forces will not be forgotten." |
| Philip Coburn was seriously injured in the explosion | Philip Coburn was seriously injured in the explosion |
| A journalist with the Sun newspaper, Tom Newton Dunn, who worked alongside Mr Hamer, said: "Rupert was not just an excellent journalist in his field but also a thoroughly nice person and I don't think he had an enemy in Fleet Street, let alone in the armed forces." | A journalist with the Sun newspaper, Tom Newton Dunn, who worked alongside Mr Hamer, said: "Rupert was not just an excellent journalist in his field but also a thoroughly nice person and I don't think he had an enemy in Fleet Street, let alone in the armed forces." |
| A former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Col Richard Kemp, knew Mr Hamer and said he had worked very closely with the military. | A former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Col Richard Kemp, knew Mr Hamer and said he had worked very closely with the military. |
| He said: "You won't hear a bad word said about him. He was extremely well liked and well respected as a journalist, he was fearless in his reporting, he wouldn't let anybody off the hook easily, but he also understood the way the military worked. | He said: "You won't hear a bad word said about him. He was extremely well liked and well respected as a journalist, he was fearless in his reporting, he wouldn't let anybody off the hook easily, but he also understood the way the military worked. |
| "He had great empathy with soldiers in particular on the ground and some of the work he did for the Sunday Mirror without a shadow of a doubt helped improve the lot of the soldier who was fighting in Afghanistan and elsewhere." | "He had great empathy with soldiers in particular on the ground and some of the work he did for the Sunday Mirror without a shadow of a doubt helped improve the lot of the soldier who was fighting in Afghanistan and elsewhere." |
| 'Great respect' | 'Great respect' |
| Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said Mr Hamer and Mr Coburn had accompanied him on his most recent trip to Afghanistan. | Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said Mr Hamer and Mr Coburn had accompanied him on his most recent trip to Afghanistan. |
| "I got to know them well and I was impressed by their hard work and professionalism," he said. | "I got to know them well and I was impressed by their hard work and professionalism," he said. |
| "My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of both men at this extremely distressing time." | "My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of both men at this extremely distressing time." |
| Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Mr Hamer "died in the course of important work informing the world about the situation in Afghanistan". | Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Mr Hamer "died in the course of important work informing the world about the situation in Afghanistan". |
| Mr Hamer is the second foreign journalist to be killed in Afghanistan in recent days. | Mr Hamer is the second foreign journalist to be killed in Afghanistan in recent days. |
| Michelle Lang, 34, from Canada's Calgary Herald, died along with four Canadian soldiers in a roadside bomb attack at the end of December. | Michelle Lang, 34, from Canada's Calgary Herald, died along with four Canadian soldiers in a roadside bomb attack at the end of December. |
| News of Mr Hamer's death came as the head of the Army told BBC Radio 5 live he expected to see fewer British military casualties in Afghanistan from the end of this year. | News of Mr Hamer's death came as the head of the Army told BBC Radio 5 live he expected to see fewer British military casualties in Afghanistan from the end of this year. |
| And General Sir David Richards said he believed it would be possible to bring down the number of troops in Afghanistan in about 18 months. | And General Sir David Richards said he believed it would be possible to bring down the number of troops in Afghanistan in about 18 months. |
| "The essence of our military operation is likely to remain broadly as it is today," he said. | "The essence of our military operation is likely to remain broadly as it is today," he said. |
| "I personally anticipate as we get this business of 'mass' right - the numbers of boots on the ground, a result of allied enhancements and a growth in the Afghan army and police - that I would see a diminishing level of casualties from the end of this year. | "I personally anticipate as we get this business of 'mass' right - the numbers of boots on the ground, a result of allied enhancements and a growth in the Afghan army and police - that I would see a diminishing level of casualties from the end of this year. |
| "But it could be a tough year until we reach that." | "But it could be a tough year until we reach that." |