WASHINGTON -  The United States is saddened by the deaths of two award-winning journalists who were covering battles between the government and rebel forces in Libya, State Secretary Hillary Clinton said on Thursday.

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"We deeply regret the loss of all life, and we are particularly saddened today by the loss of two journalists, and we extend our condolences to their families," she said during a joint press conference with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal.

British award-winning photographer and Oscar-nominated documentary director Tim Hetherington, 41, was killed in mortar attacks in Misrata on Wednesday. In the same attack, American photographer Chris Hondros who works for Getty Images suffered serious brain injuries and died hours later in the hospital.

"We were deeply saddened to hear that journalist Chris Hondros has died as the result of injuries sustained while covering the conflict in Misrata," said the White House in a statement released late Wednesday night.

"Chris's tragic death underscores the need to protect journalists as they cover conflicts across the globe," the statement added.

Previously, two other journalists had been killed in the Libyan conflict, including the founder of the online Libya Al-Hurra TV and a camera man from Al-Jazeera satellite channel.