Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui killed in Afghan clashes
This is so heartbreaking. I just read his twitter thread on covering the Afghan special forces fighting against the Taliban just two days back. I remember thinking what he's doing there and that he should get the heck out of there as soon as possible as it seemed too dangerous. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. He was a Pulitzer prize winning photographer journalist for his coverage on the Rohingya refugee crisis. May his soul rest in peace.
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Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui killed in Afghan clashes
NEW DELHI: Award-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was on Thursday killed in clashes in Afghanistan's Kandahar where he was embedded with the security forces, Afghanistan's ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay said on Twitter. "Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish Siddiqui in Kandahar last night. The Indian Journalist & winner of Pulitzer Prize was embedded with Afghan security forces. I met him 2 weeks ago before his departure to Kabul. Condolences to his family & Reuters," Mamundzay tweeted on Friday.
India informed that body of Danish Siddiqui has been handed over by Taliban to International Committee of Red Cross.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani expressed shock over his death and reiterated his government's unwavering commitment to freedom of speech and protection of free media and journalists in Afghanistan.
"I am deeply saddened with the shocking reports that Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed while covering the Taliban atrocities in Kandahar," Ghani said.
"While I extend my heartfelt condolences to Sidiqqui's family and also to our media family, I reiterate my government's unwavering commitment to freedom of speech and protection of free media and journalists," he added.
Siddiqui, in his early 40s, was killed during clashes in Spin Boldak district in Kandahar, Tolo News quoted sources as saying.
The Indian journalist was covering the situation in Kandahar over the last few days.
Siddiqui was based in Mumbai.
Siddiqui's pictures capturing the plight of Rohingya refugees won him the Pulitzer award in 2018.
One of the pictures captured by Siddiqui that won him the Pulitzer Award. It shows an exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal.
He was part of a team of journalists that captured images of the refugees at their most vulnerable back in 2017.
Danish graduated with a degree in Economics from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. He had a degree in Mass Communication from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia in 2007.
He started his career as a television news correspondent, switched to photojournalism, and joined Reuters as an intern in 2010.
Taliban fighters had captured the border area on Wednesday, the second-largest crossing on the border with Pakistan and one of the most important objectives they have achieved during a rapid advance across the country as US forces pull out.
(With inputs from PTI)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...ed-in-afghan-clashes/articleshow/84468262.cms