Death of a Journalist

The defence correspondent for the Sunday Mirror newspaper has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said. 

Rupert Hamer, 39, one of two mirror journalists who were embedded with the US Marine Crops was killed then their vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Nawa, in Helmand province. 

The father of three's colleague, photographer Phillip Coburn, 43, is in a serious but stable condition. 

A US marine and an Afghan soldier were also killed in the blast on Saturday, four other Marines were seriously injured. 

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 Phillip. 

"Their courage, skill and dedication to reporting from the frontline 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.: 

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 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 solider fighting in Afghanistan and  elsewhere."

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. 

"My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of both men at this extremely distressing time."

He added: "As a defence correspondent, Rupert Hamer wsa in regular contact with press officers at the MoD. 

"I know that had great respect for his work and the news of his death has been met wtih great sadness amongst us all."

Mr Hamer is the second foreign journalist to be killed in Afghanistan in recent weeks. 

Michell Lang, 34, from Canada's Calgary Herald, died along with four Canadian soldiers in a roadside bomb attack in December.