Missing photographer Anton Hammerl killed six weeks ago in Libya

Surrey-based photographer Anton Hammerl, who was thought to be being held hostage in Libya over the last six weeks, was not captured but shot and killed, it was revealed today.

Hammerl, a South African national who lived in Surbiton with his wife and two children, was with four other journalists near the eastern oil town of Brega when the group was attacked.

British photographer Nigel Chandler, American journalists Claire Gillis and James Foley and Spanish photograher Manu Brabo were all released yesterday in Tripoli but there was no word of Hammerl.

Foley told Global Post last night that the photogapher was fatally wounded when the group was attacked.

"It all happened in a split second. We thought we were in the crossfire. But eventually, we realised they were shooting at us. You could see and hear the bullets hitting the ground near us."

Foley said Hammerl was bleeding severely after being shot in the abdomen and was left behind.

His family reportedly heard of his death yesterday evening after being contacted by Gillis and Foley.

In a statement they described the "unbelievable trauma" of hearing of his death:

"On 5 April Anton was shot by Gaddafi's forces in an extremely remote location in the Libyan desert."According to eyewitnesses, his injuries were such that he could not have survived without medical attention.

"Words are simply not enough to describe the unbelievable trauma the Hammerl family is going through."

Global Post reporter Foley added that the surviving journalists wrestled with the decision over whether to try and speak out about Hammerl's death during their capitivity.

"We knew collectively that if we spoke about Hammerl's death while we were detained, then we would be in greater danger ourselves. But now that we're free, it's our moral imperative to tell the story of this great journalist and father."

There were reports in the South African press three weeks ago that the photographer was alive and well in the detention of pro-Gaddafi forces.

Hammerl was a South African national with Austrian parents.

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