Al-Jazeera TV office hit in Baghdad air raid

Al-Jazeera said today that its office was hit by an Americanmissile and one of its cameramen, Tarek Ayoub, was killed.

Al-Jazeera said today that its office was hit by an Americanmissile and one of its cameramen, Tarek Ayoub, was killed.

Jazeera's Baghdad correspondent Mr Maher Abdullah said themissile strike destroyed an electricity generator and set fireto the Arab satellite TV's office.

"We were caught by surprise," Abdullah said. "One missilehit the pavement infront of us, ripping out windows and doorsand then one hit the generator. The office is now on fire."

Jazeera's office is near the Iraqi Information Ministry butits correspondents conduct their live reports from a locationnear the Palestine Hotel where many journalists are staying.

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Jazeera said another staff member, Zohair al-Iraqi, was wounded in the attack.

Earlier, Reuters correspondent Samia Nakhoul said US planes raiding the capital were striking targets near the Iraqi Information Ministry and artillery fire was coming in.

The Qatar-based network, which is one of the most widely watched in the Arab world, has come under intense criticism by US and British officials for showing images of slain Western soldiers and US prisoners of war.