RIP Khalid Hassan

July 13 (Bloomberg) -- An Iraqi journalist who had worked for the New York Times as a reporter and translator since 2003 was killed in Baghdad.

Khalid W. Hassan was shot dead as he made his way to work early today in Seiydia neighborhood, the newspaper said in an e- mailed statement.

The 23-year-old was ``a resourceful and brave member of our news team, who met the many professional and personal challenges of his four years on our staff with enduring good humor and optimism,'' the New York Times said.

``Khalid was part of a large, sometimes unsung community of Iraqi news-gatherers, translators, and support staff, who take enormous risks every day to help us comprehend their country's struggle and torment,'' Executive Editor Bill Keller said in the statement. ``To the Times, Khalid was family, and his death is heartbreaking.''

``The circumstances of the attack remain unclear at this time,'' the newspaper said.