Syrian journalist killed in central al-Qusseir

A Syrian female reporter was killed Monday by the rebels' fire in the central al-Qusseir city while on duty. Yara Abbas, a reporter of al-Ekhbaria TV, was killed near the al-Daba'a military airbase in al-Qusseir, the state media said, spelling no further details. The reporter alongside a cameraman and a driver was ambushed by an armed group while heading from al-Qusseir to the capital Damascus, the al-Mayadeen satellite TV reported. The strategic city near the Lebanese borders has emerged as a stage for decisive battles between the rebels and the government troops. Abducting and assassinating pro-government journalists have become common in Syria, making it harder for them to cover events in hot areas. Recent local statistics said that more than 150 reporters were killed during Syria's 26-month-old crisis.