DAMASCUS: A cameraman for Syrian state television has been gunned down outside his home in Damascus, the broadcaster reported on Saturday, blaming the attack on “terrorists”.

“Our colleague Haidar al-Sumudi, cameraman for Syrian Arab Television, was shot dead by an armed terrorist group outside his home in Kfar Sousa in Damascus,” the television said, without specifying when the attack took place.

Even before his death, at least 17 paid journalists and 44 citizen journalists had been killed in violence in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule erupted in March last year, according to mid-December figures from media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

State media correspondents have been hit as well as independent journalists.

On Dec 4, a reporter for government newspaper Tishrin was shot dead in Damascus. Last month, a state television reporter was gunned down.