The BBC is reporting the death of a U.S. freelancer -- Steven Vincent, in the southern Iraq city of Basra.

Update: Baghdad-based freelancer Tom Popyk has posted links to Vincent's blog and his last NYT piece over at Canadian Journalist.

An excerpt:

Mr Vincent was abducted with his female Iraqi translator at gun point in a street in central Basra on Tuesday.

Mr Vincent's bullet-riddled body was found on the side of a highway south of the city a few hours later.

Mr Vincent had been writing a book about the city, where insurgents have recently stepped up their attacks.

"Both were later shot, but Vincent was killed, while the girl [translator] is alive," said Lt Col Karim Al-Zaidi.