Award-winning journalist dead after attack in Syria

An award winning French journalist is dead after an attack in the city of Homs in Syria. According to the BBC Gilles Jacquier had just finished interviewing people at a pro-government rally when grenades exploded. The exact number of deaths has yet to be confirmed but Syrian TV said eight were killed.

Jacquier was in Syria preparing a documentary about the recent protests. He was part of a group of 15 journalists who were visiting the city of Homs. They were being escorted around the by Syrian soldiers and police when the grenades hit.

The UN Security Council estimates that about 40 people have been killed each day in Syria since the arrival of the Arab League monitors in December.  The numbers are hard to confirm since foreign journalists have had little access to the country.

The EU foreign policy chief said that Syria has a responsibility to guarantee the safety of foreign journalists in the country.