PARIS, Jan 6: Forty two journalists were killed while performing their professional duty in 2003, the highest toll in years, with the Iraq war accounting for much of the increase, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday.

Paris-based RSF said the US-led invasion into Iraq accounted for 14 deaths in 2003. The total was up from 25 in 2002 and the highest toll since 1995. "Covering a war is becoming more and more dangerous for journalists," RSF said, noting an increase in bomb attacks, the use of more sophisticated weapons and combatants' disregard for the safety of journalists.

Other media bodies, including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, reported similar increases in the toll though figures varied according to the criteria used for recording deaths.-Reuters