UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday led international outrage at the growing number of journalist killings, as the bodies of two dead photographers were found in Mexico on World Press Freedom Day.

Ban told a press freedom at the UN headquarters that jour-

The UN secretary general said "countless" reporters "face intimidation, harassment and censorship at the hands of governments, corporations and powerful individuals seeking to preserve their power or hide wrongdoings and misdeeds."

"Impunity for those who attack or threaten journalists remains disturbingly preva-

nalists now face "dire threats" and highlighted that more than 60 were killed in 2011.

Amid international tributes to journalists such as Marie Colvin of the United States and Remi Ochlik of France who were killed in the Syrian protest city of Homs in March, some press freedom groups say this year could see an even worse media death toll.

Mexican security forces on Thursday found the dismembered bodies of two missing photographers — Guillermo Luna Varela and Gabriel Huge — in a canal in the eastern state ofVeracruz, authorities said.

lent," he added, calling attacks on journalists "outrageous".

Reporters Without Borders said even before the bodies of the Mexican photographers were found, 22 reporters and six bloggers and "citizen journalists" have already been killed since the start of the year.

According to Reporters Without Borders, five journalists have been killed in Somalia this year, four in Syria — including Colvin and Ochlik — two each in Bangladesh, Brazil and India, and one in Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand.