A veteran Associated Press (AP) photographer has been killed and a reporter wounded when an Afghan policeman opened fire while they were sitting in their car in eastern Afghanistan.
Anja Niedringhaus, 48, an internationally acclaimed German photographer, was killed instantly, according to a witness.
Kathy Gannon, 60, an AP correspondent who for many years was the news organisation’s Afghanistan bureau chief and is a special correspondent for the region, was shot twice and later underwent surgery. She was described as being in stable condition.
AP executive editor Kathleen Carroll, speaking in New York, said: “Anja and Kathy have spent years in Afghanistan covering the conflict and the people there. Anja was a vibrant, dynamic journalist well-loved for her insightful photographs, her warm heart and joy for life. We are heartbroken.”
The attack came on the eve of elections in Afghan-istan. The Taliban have vowed to disrupt today’s vote for a new president and provincial councils.
The two were travelling in a convoy of election workers delivering ballots from the centre of Khost city to the outskirts, in Tani district. The convoy was protected by Afghan security forces. They were in their own car with a translator and an AP freelancer.
According to the freelancer, they had arrived in the heavily guarded district compound shortly before the shooting.
As they were sitting in the car waiting for the convoy to move, a unit commander named Naqibullah walked up to the car, yelled “Allahu Akbar” – “God is Great” – and opened fire on them in the back seat with his AK-47, the freelancer said. He then surrendered to the other police and was arrested.
Medical officials in Khost confirmed Ms Niedringhaus died.
Ms Niedringhaus covered conflict zones including Kuwait, Iraq, Libya, Gaza and the West Bank during a 20-year stretch, beginning with the Balkans in the 1990s. She had travelled to Afghanistan numerous times since the 2001 US-led invasion.
Ms Niedringhaus also covered sports events around the globe.