Kabul: Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize winner Indian photojournalist, has been killed in Afghanistan while covering fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban.
Siddiqui, in his early 40s, was killed during clashes in Spin Boldak district in Kandahar, Tolo News quoted sources as saying.
"Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish Seddiqi in Kandahar last night (Thursday). The Indian Journalist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize was embedded with Afghan security forces," Afghanistan's Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay tweeted on Friday.
"I met him 2 weeks ago before his departure to Kabul. Condolences to his family & Reuters," Mamundzay said.
The Indian journalist was covering the situation in Kandahar over the last few days. Siddiqui was based in Mumbai. He had received the Pulitzer Prize as part of the Photography staff of Reuters news agency in 2018 for documenting the Rohingya Refugee Crisis.
Some of his major works include covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Rohingya refugees crisis, Hong Kong protests and Nepal earthquakes.
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.
This comes as the Taliban captured Spin Boldak district in Kandahar this week. Fierce fighting has been underway in Kandahar, especially in Spin Boldak, for the last few days.
India has pulled around 50 Indian diplomats and security officials posted in its consulate in Kandahar in view of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan
The Indian embassy had also asked all Indians visiting, staying and working in Afghanistan to exercise the utmost caution with regard to their security and avoid all types of non-essential travel in view of rising incidents of violence in various parts of the country.
