Australian journalist wounded by sniper’s bullet in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines -  An Australian journalist was wounded in the neck yesterday with what was believed to be a sniper’s bullet while covering the clashes in Marawi.

Adam Harvey, a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corp., wrote on Twitter, “Lucky,” alongside an x-ray image showing the bullet lodged in his neck, close to his spine.

“Thanks everyone – I’m OK. Bullet is still in my neck, but it missed everything important,” he said in another Twitter post.

In a video posted by ABC News, Harvey was seen describing his experience in Marawi.

“I’ll be fine. They want to put me in a neck brace but I think it’s just a precaution,” he said. “It literally just looks like I’ve been hit with a cricket ball.”

ABC News director Gaven Morris, in a report published on their site, said the injury sustained by the journalist was not life threatening.

“Indonesia correspondent Adam Harvey has been injured while on assignment in Marawi in the Philippines and is currently receiving medical treatment,” Morris was quoted as saying.

Harvey was shot in Marawi City, where government forces are struggling to defeat hundreds of militants fighting under the black flags of the Islamic State (IS).

He was inside the provincial capitol compound where local and foreign journalists have congregated during the more than three weeks of fighting, the government’s crisis management committee spokesman, Zia Alonto Adiong, said.

Although the compound is secured by the military, it is only about two kilometers from the pockets of the city that the Maute gunmen control.

“I want to appeal to everyone: you should be very careful because in our assessment the vicinity of the (Army’s) 103rd, the vicinity of the capitol is within the line of sight of the enemy,” local military spokesman Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in the compound after the shooting incident.

Adiong added Harvey was taken to nearby Iligan City for medical treatment. Dr. Jose Eric Laya said the bullet was lodged below Harvey’s left ear.

Following the incident, Malacañang advised journalists covering the battle of Marawi “to be objective” and stay safe.

“First and foremost, I think [the media] should try to be as objective as possible, and to see it in the context that this is basically an action of rebellion,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

Abella also encouraged foreign media to “report along these lines, be objective and stay out of trouble.”

In a statement released hours after the briefing, Abella called on the media in Marawi to “remain true to your profession in delivering timely, accurate and relevant news to our people.

“After all, part of any journalist’s sacred calling is to bear witness to the truth,” he said.

“While I understand that you would not shirk your duty in the pursuit of any story, bear in mind that there’s no story more valuable than one’s life. Take the necessary precautions and stay safe while covering conflicts.”

The incident also prompted the military to issue guidelines for journalists covering the conflict in Marawi City.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla reminded journalists that Marawi is a dangerous place due to the presence of snipers scattered around the city.

“Our advise to the members of the media covering Marawi is to remain in the safe zones which is the capitol and those that were designated by our troops. So if I may reiterate that advice be heeded by everybody, please do not violate it for own your safety.”

Padilla said Harvey was hit by a bullet coming from the opposite side of the compound, a place considered an area of conflict.

He said the place where Harvey was hit was between the capitol and the zones of conflict located near Camp Ranao.

“He has been attended to and has been released from the clinic. What we have gathered was in the course of the fight at the other side of the capitol there was a sniper bullet that strayed in the area and accidentally hit the journalist,” Padilla said. –Janie Cameron, Jaime Laude, AP, AFP