Nepal’s photojournalists held a candle-light vigil to pay their tributes to the late Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died in the line of duty. The Pulitzer award winner was working with news agency Reuters. He was in Kandahar, covering the developments in Afghanistan including the clash between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban.

"He (Danish Siddiqui) was a young photojournalist who won the Pulitzer Prize which is an inspiration for us. He had the courage to go to the war zones. He left us early, there is a lot to learn from his life," news agency ANI quoted Keshab Thoker Tamang, acting President of Photojournalist Club, as saying.

Also read: Danish Siddiqui becomes first Indian casualty in the ongoing civil war in Afghanistan

Siddiqui won the Pulitzer award for his extraordinary coverage of the Rohingya refugees and their plight.

Reuters quoting an unnamed official said that Afghan special forces had been fighting to retake the main market area of Spin Boldak when Siddiqui and a senior Afghan officer were killed.

Reuters also said that as per the United Nations, as many as 33 journalists have lost their lives in Afghanistan between 2018 and 2021.

“So tragic to hear that my Indian friend, Pulitzer Prize winner journalist Danish Siddiqi got killed in Kandahar last night. He was embedded with Afghan forces. We met last week and he was telling me about his kids, family and his work from covering Rohingya to pandemic in India,” Tolo news chief Lotfullah Najafizada tweeted while announcing Siddiqui’s demise.