ISTANBUL (AA) - August 23, 2012 - Security of journalists and their lives at risk in war zones came up in media again after the loss of Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto.

In the past 17 months since the Syrian crisis started erupting, 17 journalists lost their lives who were reporting from Syria and high number of journalists have been still missing.
According to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), it all started with the killing of Syrian journalist Ferzat Jarban in November 2011. The period was followed with the killing of 17 other journalists and Syria became one of the most dangerous places to work for journalists.
The corpse of Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto was brought to Turkey with the assistance of the Syrian opposition and Yamamoto's spouse on Tuesday. Turkish documentary makers Adem Ozkose and Hamit Coskun went missing for 70 days in Syria and after intensive contacts they were released. Reporter of Al Jazeera Ankara was wounded, Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlenmans was released after a week of not being heard, Turkish journalist Sinan Gul was shot and there are many local journalists who had been missing.
Reporters Without Borders (RWB) state that they are worried about the lives of 30 missing journalists in Syria. According to their reporters in the region, six journalists have been released already.
RWB calls out to all the fighting groups in Syria saying that they should respect the practice of law and says, "Do not target journalists who are trying to report."

Reporting by Ahmet Esad Sani