Syria asks foreign journalists to report to government

Syria's information ministry said foreign journalists illegally inside the country should report to the government on Tuesday, hours after bombardment of a rebel neighborhood in Homs killed two foreign journalists smuggled into Syria.  

"The ministry asks all foreign journalists that have entered Syria illegally to go to the nearest centre for immigration and passports to resolve the situation according to the laws in force," the ministry said in a statement on Syria TV.    

Journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik were killed by a security force assault on the battered opposition district of Baba Amro in central Homs, heart of an 11-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Activists have accused the government of intentionally firing on the building housing at least six journalists, who were smuggled into the besieged rebel stronghold.

Two Western journalists were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday when shells hit the house they were staying in, opposition activists and witnesses reported on Wednesday.

They were named as Marie Colvin, an American working for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

On the other hand France called on the Syrian government to immediately halt attacks on Homs and allow safe access to provide medical support to victims in the city after two journalists were killed on Wednesday.  

"I ask the Syrian government to stop immediately the attacks and respect its humanitarian obligations," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in a statement.  

"I have asked our embassy in Damascus to demand from Syrian authorities a securitized passage with medical help to be given to victims with the support of the International Red Cross," he said.  

Juppe added that he had summoned Syria's ambassador to condemn the unacceptable behavior of the Syrian government. "France is more determined than ever to end the savage repression that the Syrian people are experiencing every day," he said.  

Syria information ministry, in return, responded to the French call on Tuesday saying that foreign journalists illegally inside the country should report to the government.   "The ministry asks all foreign journalists that have entered Syria illegally to go to the nearest centre for immigration and passports to resolve the situation according to the laws in force," the ministry said in a statement on Syria TV.    

Activists have accused the government of intentionally firing on the building housing at least six journalists, who were smuggled into the besieged rebel stronghold.   The information ministry denied the accusations.    

"The ministry had no knowledge of the entrance of the American journalist Marie Colvin or the French photographer Remi Ochlik, or other foreign journalists to Syrian territory," Syria TV cited the ministry as saying.  

Activists said between two and four other journalists were wounded. One of them, a French woman, is in critical condition.   

Reuters