Longtime AP journalist Terry Anderson died this Sunday, according to his daughter and the news agency where he spent most of his career working as a correspondent.
Terry Anderson became well-known for his media coverage of the conflicts in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, where he was captured by the terrorist group Hezbollah. The Shiite group held the journalist captive for seven years before releasing him in 1991.
Anderson died shortly before his 76th birthday. According to AP, he died as a result of complications after heart surgery. He died at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York.
#RIP Terry Anderson
1985 the AP Beirut bureau chief was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad & was hostage 7 years.
3/6/1993 told media @PressClubDC "how grateful I am for the tremendous support you gave me during those 7 years. I did hear of your efforts...lifted my spirits tremendously" pic.twitter.com/Kcucm8Aab9— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) April 22, 2024
Julie Pace, AP vice president and publisher, paid tribute to Anderson in the agency's obituary.
Terry was deeply committed to on-the-ground eyewitness reporting and demonstrated great bravery and resolve, both in his journalism and during his years held hostage. We are so appreciative of the sacrifices he and his family made as the result of his work.
After Anderson was released, he was named a hero in the United States. His time in captivity with Hezbollah marked one of the longest ordeals endured by a Western journalist in the Middle East. In the 1990s, a trial conclusively linked Iran's Islamist regime to his abduction. As a result, he was awarded compensation from frozen Iranian funds.
After retiring, he moved to a horse farm in northern Virginia. He enjoyed a peaceful where he enjoyed a quiet life.
