Danish Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan forces that came under attack by Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.
Danish Siddiqui, an Indian photojournalist working for an international news agency, has been killed in Afghanistan's Kandahar, multiple reports confirmed on Friday. Siddiqui had been in Kandahar covering the situation in the region after the US forces pulled out of Afghanistan recently.
According to reports, Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan forces that came under attack by Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.
Siddiqui, who worked for Reuters and was based in Mumbai, was also awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. On July 13, Siddiqui had tweeted 'lucky to be safe' recalling how the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack by the Taliban.
"The Humvee in which I was travelling with other special forces was also targeted by at least 3 RPG rounds and other weapons. I was lucky to be safe and capture the visual of one of the rockets hitting the armour plate overhead," he said in a thread of tweets.
ALSO READ: Pakistan cannot dictate us, impose its views: Taliban spokesman
"Deeply disturbed by the sad news of the killing of a friend, Danish Seddiqi 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," Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay said in a tweet.
Danish Siddiqui had a graduate degree in Economics from Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia. He also had a degree in Mass Communication from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre from the university. He had joined Reuters as an intern in 2010.
Siddiqui had been regularly posting photos on his social media accounts from Afghanistan where Taliban is expanding its presence amid the withdrawal of US-led allied troops.
India pulled out about 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar earlier this week, news PTI had reported citing sources familiar with the development. India has its embassy in Kabul along with the consulates in Kandahar and Mazar where it has over 500 staff deployed. Two consulates in Herat and Jalalabad had ceased operations earlier.
