Pulitzer Prize winner Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed in Afghanistan while covering fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban, his friend confirmed on Friday. Siddiqui was killed during clashes in the Spin Boldak district in Kandahar. 

“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.

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Siddiqui was a Mumbai-based photojournalist who was covering the situation in Kandahar over the last few days.

Siddiqui, who was in his early 40s, graduated with a degree in Economics from Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia. He went on to secure a degree in Mass Communication from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia in 2007.

He then started his career as a television news correspondent before switching to photojournalism. He joined Reuters as an intern in 2010. Siddiqui received the Pulitzer Prize as part of the Photography staff of Reuters news agency.

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The Taliban have captured several districts across Afghanistan, as well as major border crossings with neighbouring countries. On Friday, Afghan forces clashed with Taliban fighters in Spin Boldak after launching an operation to retake the key border crossing with Pakistan.

AFP reported that sozens of wounded Taliban fighters were being treated at a Pakistan hospital near the border following the fighting. 

“We have suffered one death and dozens of our fighters have got injured,” a Taliban insurgent told AFP. 

Meanwhile, An Afghan official said on Thursday that a local ceasefire with Taliban leaders had been negotiated for Qala-i-Naw, the Badghis provincial capital that saw fierce street fighting last week.