RWB : 16 professional journalists killed in Syria,many still missing

French press freedom organisation, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), said Tuesday that 16 professional journalists have been killed in Syria since the start of the conflict there in March 2011, and a large number are still missing and unaccounted for. RWB also said that 44 bloggers or internet "citizen journalists" have also died in the fighting or by targeted assassination by one side or the other. The press organisation said that Syrian government forces and the opposition rebel movement had both carried out attacks on journalists. Three foreign journalists - from Ukraine, Jordan and the US - have been abducted and no news has been given of their fate. They have apparently given online confessions but RWB said that these were made under torture. "Condemning the use of forced confessions that are filmed and then broadcast or posted online, Reporters Without Borders calls for the release of these three foreign journalists and urges the Syrian authorities to free all the Syrian journalists they are currently holding," a statement said late Tuesday. According to RWB, Syria is holding 36 journalists and citizen journalists in regime jails.