A photographer employed by Iraq’s elite interior ministry forces was killed Wednesday by a mortar round during fighting in the terrorist bastion of Fallujah, officers said.

A photographer employed by Iraq's elite interior ministry forces was killed Wednesday by a mortar round during fighting in the terrorist bastion of Fallujah, officers said.

An AFP photographer on the scene said the incident took place in the city's southern neighborhood of Shuhada, which the Iraqi government recently retook from the ISIL group.

"Photographer Fadil al-Garaawi was killed when a mortar round struck near a group of journalists and members of the security forces in Fallujah," a senior federal police officer said.

The 45-year-old photographer also contributed to Iraqi news outlets.

Iraqi forces launched a vast offensive last month to retake Fallujah, which has been out of government control since January 2014 and is one of ISIL's most emblematic bastions.