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Samarra (Iraq): Bodies of three Iraqi journalists, including a well-known correspondent for Al-Arabiya television, were found today near Samarra, police and the Arabic network said. Al-Arabiya's Atwar Bahjat and two colleagues from another media company were in the city, 95 kilometers north of Baghdad, to cover the yesterday bombing of a revered Shiite shrine. Their employers lost contact with them the same night. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found this morning near their vehicle, cameras and satellite dish, police Capt. Laith Muhammad said. "I can confirm that they have been killed," said Jawad al-Hatab, head of the Al-Arabiya office in Baghdad. The three journalists had been reporting live yesterday from the outskirts of Samarra, which was sealed off by security forces after the early morning explosion at the Askariya shrine, also known as the Golden Mosque. Bahjat's last broadcast was at 8.30 hours IST, Al-Arabiya said.  The team were preparing to return to Kirkuk when two gunmen pulled up in pickup truck, shooting in the air and shouting, "We want the correspondent," according to a cameraman who managed to evade capture, Al-Arabiya reported. The three were taken away and their bodies were found about 10 kilometers northeast of Samarra, police and Al-Arabiya said. Al-Arabiya identified the other two victims as a cameraman and engineer from the local Wassan media company. But the company could not immediately confirm the fate of its employees. | 
