Two from CBS Killed in Iraq, Correspondent Seriously Hurt

By: CBS says two of its crew members were killed, and correspondent Kimberly Dozier, 39, was seriously injured, during an attack on a U.S. military unit in Iraq.

The network identifies the dead as cameraman Paul Douglas, 48, and soundman James Brolan, 42.

It says they were embedded with a team from the Fourth Infantry Division when the convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device today.

Dozier has been reporting on the war in Iraq for nearly three years, CBS said.

In January, ABC's Bob Woodruff suffered serious head injuries and broken bones while reporting on the war.

A CBS/AP report continues:

Following what the U.S. military is calling a "curious incident" in the Karada neighborhood of Baghdad, Dozier, Douglas and Brolan got out of their armored vehicle. That's when a nearby car packed with explosives detonated. Douglas and Brolan died at the scene.

Dozier sustained serious injuries and was flown to a U.S. military hopsital inside Baghada's Green Zone, where she underwent surgery. She is in critical condition, but doctors are cautiously optimistic about her prognosis.

The attack was among a wave of car and roadside bombs that left about three dozen people dead before noon Monday, including one explosion that killed 10 people on a bus. Nearly all the attacks occurred in Baghdad.

"This is a devastating loss for CBS News," said Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports, in a CBS statement. "Kimberly, Paul and James were veterans of war coverage who proved their bravery and dedication every single day. They always volunteered for dangerous assignments and were invaluable in our attempt to report the news to the American public."

"Our deepest sympathy goes out to the families of Paul and James, and we are hoping and praying for a complete recovery by Kimberly. Countless men and women put their lives on the line, day in and day out, in Iraq and other dangerous spots around the world, and they deserve our utmost respect and gratitude for the work they do," McManus said.

Douglas, 48, had worked for CBS News in many countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Rwanda and Bosnia, since the early 1990s. He leaves behind a wife, two daughters and three grandchildren. Brolan, 42, was a freelancer who had worked with CBS News in Baghdad and Afghanistan over the past year. He was part of the CBS News team that had received a 2006 Overseas Press Club Award for its reporting on the Pakistan earthquake.

Dozier, 39, has been a CBS News correspondent, reporting from Iraq, for the past three years, Before that, she served as London bureau chief and chief European correspondent for CBS Radio News from 1996-2002. Dozier is the recipient of three American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) Gracie Awards for her radio reports on Mideast violence, Kosovo and the Afghan war.

All over the region, explosions began just after dawn, with one roadside bomb killing 10 people and injuring another 12 who worked for an Iranian organization opposed to the regime in Iran, police said.