Two student journalists have been killed in separate incidents in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna.

Nilakshan Sahapavan, 22, editor of Chaa'laram and student at the Jaffna University Media Research and Training Centre was killed by an unidentified gunman Aug. 1. Thanikasalam Sasirooban, 25, a trainee journalist for the Daily Mirror, was gunned down while traveling home on his motorbike Aug. 2.

The Free Media Movement has stated Sahapavan is the eighth journalist killed in Jaffna since May 2006, AsiaMedia has reported. No one has been prosecuted for any of the killings.

Violence against journalists began escalating in 2005 as hostilities have grown between the government and the Tamil Tigers. Reporters Without Boarders reported that 11 journalists have been killed in Sri Lanka since 2005, not including last week's murders.