Award-winning war photographer Tim Hetherington was reportedly killed in today in a mortar attack

Award-winning war photographer Tim Hetherington was reportedly killed in today in a mortar attack on the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, colleagues told ABC News.
It was unclear whether a second photographer Chris Hondros also died in the attack.

News of the death first surfaced on Twitter and on the Facebook page of Andre Liohn, a French photographer who was apparently with Hetherington and Hondros at a Libyan hospital.

Hetherington, one of the best known photojournalists and winner of the prestigious Dupont Award, produced powerful pieces for ABC News' "Nightline" from the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, and directed the documentary "Restrepo," which won an award at the Sundance film festival last year.

Hondros has covered conflicts from Kosovo to Lebanon, Iraq to Afghanistan and many more, as senior staff photographer for Getty Images. His work has appeared in virtually all the major American papers and magazines. His awards include the Robert Capa Gold Medal, war photography's highest honor. A spokeswoman for Getty Images could not confirm that Hondros has been killed.


Three other journalists were believed to be wounded in the same attack, including Michael Brown. The identity of the other two have not yet been confirmed.

"Tim was one of the bravest photographers and filmmakers I have ever met," said ABC News' James Goldston, who worked closely with Hetherington as executive producer of "Nightline."

"During his shooting for the Nightline specials he very seriously broke his leg on a night march out of a very isolated forward operating base that was under attack. He had the strength and character to walk for four hours through the night on his shattered ankle without complaint and under fire, enabling that whole team to reach safety."

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