AceShowbiz - Tim Hetherington, who co-directed and produced hard-hitting Oscar-nominated documentary "Restrepo" with Sebastian Junger, was filming the ongoing unrest in the country when he was caught in an explosion in Misrata on Wednesday.

Sebastian Junger was devastated to learn of his pal's death and he has written a moving tribute to Hetherington for Vanity Fair's website, praising the star for raising awareness of "terrible, ugly stories".

Comparing their desire to cover the unrest to a "beautiful woman" they loved, he writes, "We were always trying to have one more dance with her without paying the price. All those quiet, huddled conversations we had in Afghanistan, Where to walk on the patrols, what to do if the outpost gets overrun, what kind of body armour to wear."

"You were so smart about it, too - so smart about it that I would actually tease you about being scared. Of course you were scared - you were terrified. We both were... I'm so sorry, Tim. The conversation we could have had about this crazy stunt of yours! Christ, I would have yelled at you, but you know that. Getting mad was how we kept each other safe, how we kept the other from doing something stupid."

Photographer Chris Hondros also died in the attack.