List of journalists killed during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

List of journalists killed during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) accounts for journalists killed while reporting about the war.

+ Date Name Location Notes Refs16 July 2021Danish Siddiqui Spin Buldak, KandaharIndian photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, working for Reuters. He was killed along with a senior Afghan officer while covering Afghan Special Forces' attempt to retake an area from Taliban in Spin Buldak district of Kandahar.Mina Mangal KabulAfghan journalist, activist and political advisor. Shot dead in Kabul under suspicious circumstances (possible honour killing).Shah Marai KabulAfghan photojournalist working for the Agence France-Presse. He was killed along with several other journalists in an ISIL suicide bombing while covering the April 2018 Kabul suicide bombings.5 June 2016David Gilkey Helmand ProvinceGilkey was a US photojournalist for NPR. Tamanna was a journalist working as an interpreter. Both were killed in Taliban ambush while traveling with a convey of Afghan soldiers. Gilkey was initially thought to have been killed by an RPG, but further investigation showed that his cause of death was severe burns.5 June 2016Zabihullah TamannaAnja NiedringhausKhost ProvinceGerman photojournalist working for the Associated Press. She was shot by a man wearing a police officer's uniform while covering the country's 2014 presidential election. Anja Niedringhaus: Deutsche Fotografin in Afghanistan erschossen, zeit.de, retrieved 4 April 2014 Nils HornerKabulReporter for Swedish Radio SR - He was killed during a talk with his Afghan translator on the street of the capital Kabul. He was war correspondent of the Swedish Radio station since 2001 and reported for them from the Afghanistan and Iraq war.Noor Ahmad NooriHelmand ProvinceReporter for Radio Bost - Noori was tortured and killed in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province by an unknown assailant. His body was found in a plastic bag in a Lashkar Gah suburb.Sadim Khan BhadrzaiUrgon DistrictThe director of Radio Mehman – Melina was killed by an unknown assailant.Ahmad Omaid KhpalwakTarin Kowt, UruzganA soldier from the International Security Assistance Force mistakenly killed Khpalwak, who worked for Pajhwok Afghan News and the BBC News, while clearing a broadcasting building of possible enemy.James P. Hunter Zhari district, Kandahar ProvinceKilled while covering a foot patrol. The first US military journalist to die in the War in Afghanistan.Rupert Hamer Nawa, Nawa-I-Barakzayi District, Helmand ProvinceThe British Sunday Mirror war correspondent and his photographer were traveling with US troops when their vehicle hit an IED. Hamer died along with a US marine. His photographer survived with injuries as well as other injured soldiers.Michelle Lang Kandahar, Kandahar ProvinceThe Calgary Herald reporter was killed by an IED that was struck by the vehicle carrying Lang and 4 Canadian soldiers.Sultan MunadiChar Dara District, Kunduz ProvinceAn Afghan interpreter held captive with British colleague Stephen Farrell of the New York Times, Munadi was killed during the rescue attempt.Abdul Samad RohaniLashkar Gah, Helmand ProvinceThe first Pajhwok Afghan News and BBC News journalist to be killed; he was found dead one day after he was abducted. His captors taunted him with the fate of Ajmal Naqshbandi before killing him.Carsten Thomassen KabulThe Norwegian journalist worked for Dagbladet and was killed in a Taliban terrorist attack on a hotel in the capital.Zakia ZakiJabal Saraj, Parwan ProvinceShot in her home, she was the owner of a radio station and a critic of the Taliban.Ajmal NaqshbandiHelmand ProvinceHe was the fixer for kidnapped Italian-Swiss journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo of La Repubblica. His execution was the subject of a documentary film. The team driver Sayed Agha was also killed.Christian Struwe Baghlan ProvinceStruwe and Fischer, who worked as freelance documentary filmmakers for Deutsche Welle, were believed to be on their way to the Buddha statues in Bamyan Province that were destroyed under the Taliban. Their killing brought to three the number of German journalists killed in the war.Karen Fischer Abdul QodusKandaharThe camera operator for TV Aryana was killed in the second of two blasts from a suicide bombing.Ulf Strömberg Taloqan, Kunduz ProvinceThe Swedish TV4 camera operator was killed in a robbery of a house where several Swedish journalists were staying.Harry Burton Between Jalalabad and KabulBurton and Haidari were photojournalists for Reuters. Fuentes was a journalist for El Mundo. Cutuli was a reporter for Il Corriere della Sera. The four were killed in an ambush.Azizullah HaidariJulio Fuentes Maria Grazia Cutuli Pierre Billaud Dasht-e QalehBillaud was a reporter for Radio Tele Luxembourg. Sutton was a reporter for Radio France International and was the first female journalist to die in the War in Afghanistan. Handloik was a freelance journalist. The three were killed when the tank they were in was attacked. Two journalists, Australian Paul McGeough and French Véronique Reyberotte, survived.Johanne Sutton Volker Handloik

See also War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Human rights in Afghanistan

References

External links The Journalists Memorial