MISRATA, Libya – Two western photojournalists were killed and several others were seriously injured in Libya Wednesday while covering battles between Muammar al-Qaddafi's forces and anti-government rebels, Human Rights Watch confirmed to Fox News.
Tim Hetherington -- who was nominated for an Oscar this year with co-director Sebastian Junger for "Restrepo," a documentary about U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and Chris Hondros, a New York-based photographer for the Getty agency -- were reportedly killed in the volatile city of Misrata.
Two other photographers -- Guy Martin and Michael Christopher Brown -- were seriously injured, said a doctor in Misrata who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of government reprisals.
Life.com: Tim Hetherington's Photos From Afghanistan
Life.com: The Work of Chris Hondros
On Tuesday, Hetherington tweeted, "In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO."
Andre Liohn, a fellow photographer also announced the news of Hetherington's death on his Facebook page.
"Sad news Tim Hetherington died in Misrata now when covering the front line."
"Tim will be remembered for his amazing images," Hetherington's family said in a statement to Vanity Fair magazine. "Tim was in Libya to continue his ongoing multimedia project to highlight humanitarian issues during time of war and conflict. He will forever be missed."
Chris Hondros was a New York-based photographer who traveled to Libya to cover the conflict for Getty Images.
"He has an intimacy in his work," Swayne Hall, a longtime friend and a photo editor, told the Associated Press. "Some people will use a long lens so they don't have to get up close. But Chris will get up close, he's just not afraid to be with whatever he's photographing."
Hetherington was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2010 documentary film "Restrepo."
"Restrepo" tells the story of the 2nd Platoon of Battle Company in the 173rd Airborne Combat Team on its deployment in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008. The title refers to the platoon outpost, named after a popular soldier, Juan Restrepo, who was killed early in the fighting.
Hondros has covered conflict zones since the late 1990s including Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and his work has appeared in major magazines and newspapers around the world. His awards include World Press Photo honors and the Robert Capa Gold Medal, one of the highest prizes in war photography.
Newscore and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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