Indian scribe Danish Siddiqui killed in Afghanistan

New Delhi, July 16

Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize winning Indian photojournalist, was killed while covering the fierce fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban militants near a border crossing with Pakistan in Kandahar province on Friday. Siddiqui, 38, was on an assignment covering the clashes in the volatile Kandahar region. He worked with Reuters.

The Taliban handed over his body to International Red Cross representatives. Speaking in New York where he addressed a UNSC session, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India condemned the killing. "I extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family,” he said.

The Indian Embassy in Kabul is in touch with the Afghan authorities to bring back the mortal remains. “We are actively facilitating the return of the body in coordination with Afghan authorities and the ICRC,” sources said. — TNS