A cameraman and soundman for ABC News were killed in Iraq yesterday, ABC News has confirmed. Alaa Uldeen Aziz, 33, and soundman Saif Laith Yousuf, 26, were returning home from work at the ABC News Baghdad bureau when their car was reportedly ambushed and they were killed by unknown assailants.

David Westin‘s sent a memo to ABC News staffers announcing the news this morning:

From: Westin, David
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 5:15 AM
To: ABCTV News ALL
Subject: Our Baghdad Colleagues

Early this morning, we learned of the death of two of our Iraqi colleagues, cameraman Alaa Uldeen Aziz and soundman Saif Laith Yousuf. They were returning home from work in our Baghdad Bureau yesterday afternoon when we believe that their car was ambushed and they were killed by unknown assailants. Alaa is survived by his wife, his two daughters, and his mother; Saif leaves behind his fiancée, his mother, and his brothers and sisters. Our hearts go out to their families and friends. They will be deeply missed by their colleagues in Baghdad and by all of us in the ABC News family.