Mexican journalist killed in border city of Ciudad Juarez

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican journalist was shot to death in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, authorities said on Friday, the latest victim in a wave of criminal violence that has claimed the lives of at least half a dozen reporters this year.

Arturo Alba, the host of Multimedios television, was shot at least 11 times, according to Chihuahua attorney general Cesar Peniche. Peniche said the motives for the attack were unclear and that he was still awaiting more details of the killing.

Peniche said it has not been ruled out that Alba was targeted for his journalism in Ciudad Juarez, which lies across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

According to a tally kept by Reporters Without Borders, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting freedom of information, five journalists had been killed in Mexico this year before the death of Alba. Some counts point to a higher number.

(This story refiles to fix media tag to MEXICO-VIOLENCE/JOURNALISM instead of MEXIO-VIOLENCE/JOURNALISM)

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)