Danish Siddiqui, Pulitzer Prize Winning Reuters' Photojournalist, Laid To Rest In Delhi, After Being Killed In Afghanistan

Danish Siddiqui grew up in Gaffar Manzil, Gali Number 5. The lane was lined with people clad in white on July 18 evening. News that his body had reached Delhi Airport filled the area by 6 pm. Those present outside his house, fellow journalists, Jamia Millia Islamia batchmates, or people from the neighbourhood, everyone had Danish's name on their lips. Many young students and journalists said Danish, the Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist who was killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan, had been an inspiration. They said he was ever-helpful senior. The 41-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist for Reuters news agency in India, was on assignment when he passed away. He was embedded with a convoy of Afghan forces that was ambushed by Taliban militants near a key border post with Pakistan, as per reports. It is not clear how many others died in the attack. Afghanistan's ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay, said he was deeply disturbed by the news of "the killing of a friend.” Siddiqui was covering the clashes in Kandahar region, as the US withdraws its forces from Afghanistan ahead of an September 11 deadline set by President Joe Biden. The Taliban - a fundamentalist Islamic militia - controlled Afghanistan from the mid-90s until the US invasion in 2001. Condolence messages were shared by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Press Club Of India and many others.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2021 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).