Reuters photographer killed in Afghanistan

Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters photographer, was killed on Friday in Afghanistan, where he was covering fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border crossing with Pakistan, the agency reported. Press. Afghan security forces were on Friday trying to retake the strategic town of Spin Boldak (South), which fell to the Taliban on Wednesday, when Danish Siddiqui and a senior Afghan officer were killed by Taliban fire, a commander of the Afghan army told Reuters. Afghan army.

Danish Siddiqui, of Indian nationality, has been accompanying Afghan security forces near Kandahar, the large city in southern Afghanistan, since the start of the week.

"We are urgently seeking more information and are working with authorities in the region," President Michael Friedenberg and editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni of Reuters said in a statement.

"Danish was an exceptional journalist, a devoted husband and father, and a much appreciated colleague. Our hearts go out to his family at these terrible times," he added.

Pulitzer Prize in 2018

The photographer had announced earlier Friday to Reuters that he had suffered an injured arm.

He was being treated and recovering when Taliban fighters retreating from Spin Boldak fell on his whereabouts, according to the commander quoted by Reuters.

The agency said it was unable to independently verify these claims.

Danish Siddiqui was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 in the "Magazine Photography" category for their coverage of the Rohingya refugee crisis.

He had worked for Reuters since 2010 and had covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Rohingya crisis, the protests in Hong Kong or the earthquakes in Nepal.