India world's third most dangerous country for journalists

India is the third most dangerous country for media persons in the world, a new research has found.

The International News Safety Institute revealed that a total of 126 journalists and other media workers around the world have died on the job this year.

Syria was ranked the world's most dangerous countries for journalists for the second time in a row, followed by the Philippines and India with, 13 deaths each.

Pakistan ranked fifth with nine casualties during the year.

The institute, which organises safety courses for reporters and monitors risks in trouble spots, said 19 of the dead had lost their lives in Syria, Express Tribune reports.

At least 18 foreign and 20 Syrian journalists are believed to be missing in the country after being detained or kidnapped there, it said.

The London-based INSI, whose report was officially released in Geneva, revealed that in the Philippines, unknown assailants murdered nine and four others died while covering the recent typhoon disaster.

In India, seven journalists were murdered but none of their killings had been thoroughly investigated.

Two were killed while covering communal violence and four died in accidents while on assignment.

In Iraq, 11 journalists have died, 10 of them murdered by armed groups and seven of them in the northern city of Mosul, the report added.