119 journalists killed in 2012: report

In this April 17, 2001 file photo, American journalist Marie Colvin is being treated by Sri Lankan army medical staff in Vavuniya, 210 km northeast of Colombo . File photo

A total of 119 journalists have been killed while on assignment so far this year, the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) said.

This is the highest toll since 1997 when the IPI started keeping track. In Syria alone, 36 journalists were killed this year, Xinhua reported.

The press watchdog said it had observed an “alarming trend” of journalists increasingly being targeted, often in order to “prevent information disclosure”.

After Syria, Somalia is also dangerous for journalists, the IPI said, with 16 deaths in 2012, followed by Mexico, Pakistan, and the Philippines.