A writer and photographer on assignment for the New York Times Magazine were injured in a missile attack in Southern Lebanon before the Israeli-Hezbollah cease-fire and have returned work, the writer wrote in an e-mail yesterday.

Reporter and author Scott Anderson — who recently published Moonlight Hotel — and photographer Paolo Pellegrin were on assignment for the magazine in Tyre on August 8 when the attack occurred.

Via Anderson's e-mail:

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Anderson
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 7:13 AM
To: [REDACTED]
Subject:

Please forgive this mass e-mail, but over the past couple of days I've received a number of messages from people concerned over an incident involving myself and photographer Paolo Pellegrin last week in southern Lebanon, the details of which appear to be growing more alarmist as time goes on. Figuring that the story is likely to spread — and grow more erroneous — via the internet, I thought I'd briefly let you all know what actually happened.

On Sunday, August 6, Paolo, I and our driver were in the south Lebanon city of Tyre, reporting on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict there, when a small Israeli drone missile exploded alongside our car. While we all suffered mild concussions from the blast's proximity, we were extremely fortunate otherwise: Paolo took a small piece of shrapnel to the forehead, our driver one to his eyebrow, while my injuries were limited to a slightly perforated eardrum and a few glass shards in the back from the car's blown-out back window. None of us were hospitalized, and both Paolo and I saw a top neurologist upon returning to Beirut who saw absolutely no signs of any more serious injury; our driver, who remained in Tyre, is fine also. At the moment, Paolo and I are finishing up our story here in Lebanon, and planning to return to our respective homes within the next week or so.

Please don't feel you need to respond to this message in any way. And if you do, please bear in mind that I'm under deadline so it'll be awhile before I answer back!

Thanks a lot, and sorry if anyone was worried.

Scott

RELATED: