Dutch journalist killed in Libya's Sirte

A Dutch journalist has been killed by a sniper in the Libyan city of Sirte.

Fighter of the Libyan forces affiliated to the Tripoli government looks out the broken window of destroyed building in Sirte, Libya, Sept. 29, 2016. Source: AAP

Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans has been fatally shot by a sniper in the Libyan city of Sirte, according to Dutch national broadcaster Nos and Belgian publication Knack.

Both cited fellow journalist Joanie de Rijke, of Knack, who was reporting with Oerlemans in Libya. The exact circumstances of his death on Sunday are unclear.

The Dutch ambassador to Libya, Eric Strating, tweeted "Rest in Peace. Your photographs of #Sirte #Libya and other places will live on forever.''

Jeroen Oerlemans (Facebook) Source: Facebook

Oerlemans was abducted in 2012 in northern Syria and held captive for a week before being freed, Nos reported.

His Facebook account says he was based in Amsterdam and studied photojournalism at the London College of Communication.

Sirte has faced recent fighting between pro-government militias trying to take back the city from Islamic State extremists.