Foreign and defence correspondents continue to support embedded war reporting, despite the recent death of Sunday Mirror reporter Rupert Hamer in Afghanistan.

Hamer was on a month long embed assignment with the US marines when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Reports of his death ricocheted across foreign news desks reminding journalists of the dangers of embedding with military forces.

Speaking days before leaving for Afghanistan for a two-week embed with the American military, Sunday Times foreign correspondent Marie Colvin said: “If you want to cover a war you cannot get the truth of a story from a press conference. Right now in Afghanistan, embedding is the safest way to do it.

“Equally Rupert’s death just emphasises what we all know which is you can’t have a war without risk.”

Reuter’s bureau chief for the Israel and Palestinian Territories, Alastair MacDonald said embedding was “by no means a soft option” but it was one side of the story that needed to be told.

“People have a commitment to try and understand what is going on and these are often very important stories that affect people’s choices and decisions in their millions.”

He added: “I think that it is important for the people who take the decisions – the editors, bureau chiefs – to have an understanding of what the conditions are. And how exposed the journalists might find themselves in.”

Hamer, a 39-year-old father of three, was travelling in a US armoured vehicle with photographer Phil Coburn when they were hit in Helmand Province. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Coburn who was injured in the blast, paid tribute to his colleague describing him as “courageous” and “determined”.

Reflecting on the impact of Hamer’s death, Colvin said: “There are colleagues who have been particularly hit by Rupert’s death as it was made starkly clear that it’s not 100 per cent safe. The majority though will continue to go out.”

Jason Burke, senior foreign correspondent for The Guardian and The Observer has reported from Afghanistan for the last 15 years. Although not against embedded war reporting, he said he is now thinking “very deeply” about working in Afghanistan because of the increasingly difficult conditions faced by journalists.