The White House on Wednesday expressed condolences on the deaths of two Western journalists in Syria, saying their deaths underscore the "incredible risks" taken by journalists.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a briefing that the deaths of French photographer Ochlik Remi and American journalist Marie Colvin is "a reminder of the incredible risks that journalists take...in order to bring the truth about what's happening in a country like Syria to those of us at home and in countries around the world."

"And our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those journalists," said Carney, who has been a journalist in the past.

Colvin and Remi were killed Wednesday morning when the bomb hit a media center in the Syrian city of Homs. A longtime war correspondent, Colvin lost an eye covering the Sri Lankan civil war and wore a distinctive black eye patch.

Last week, Anthony Shadid, a New York Times correspondent, died of an asthma attack while reporting covertly in Syria.