Report: German spy agency targets foreign reporters' phones

The German weekly Der Spiegel reports that the country's spy agency had at least 50 numbers and email addresses of journalists among its surveillance targets.

Spiegel reported today that a list seen by the magazine contained over a dozen numbers belonging to the BBC in Afghanistan and London. It says a New York Times phone number in Afghanistan and several cell and satellite phone numbers for the Reuters news agency in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria were also on the list.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency, known by its acronym BND, declined to comment directly on the report.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the agency said it only communicates with the German government and lawmakers on parliament's intelligence oversight committee about "operative aspects" of its work.