The Avant
The Avant Garde
Garde
  • Latest news
  • World
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Weather
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest news
  • World
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Weather
No Result
View All Result
The Avant Garde
No Result
View All Result
Home World

Body of Reuters Photographer Was Mutilated in Taliban Custody, Officials Say

The Avant Garde by The Avant Garde
July 31, 2021
in World
0
Body of Reuters Photographer Was Mutilated in Taliban Custody, Officials Say

NEW DELHI — The body of Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters photojournalist who was killed in Afghanistan this month, was badly mutilated while in the custody of the Taliban, officials said this week.

The revelation comes amid concern that the fighting in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have carried out an aggressive military offensive since the United States withdrew nearly all its troops, has become increasingly brutal as peace talks have stalled.

Related Posts

Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support

The Children of War

In Turbulent Times, Xi Builds a Security Fortress for China, and Himself

Mr. Siddiqui, 38, an Indian national who took some of the most memorable news photographs from South Asia in recent years, was killed on the morning of July 16, when Afghan commandos he had accompanied to Spin Boldak, a border district recently captured by the Taliban, were ambushed. Initial photographs from the scene showed Mr. Siddiqui’s body with multiple wounds but fully intact.

But by that evening, when the body was handed over to the Red Cross and transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Kandahar, it had been badly mutilated, according to two Indian officials and two Afghan health officials there. The mutilation was reported by an Indian website, Newslaundry, in the days after Mr. Siddiqui’s killing.

The New York Times reviewed multiple photographs, some provided by Indian officials and others taken by Afghan health workers at the hospital, that showed Mr. Siddiqui’s body had been mutilated. One Indian official said that the body had nearly a dozen bullet wounds and that there were tire marks on Mr. Siddiqui’s face and chest.

One of the health officials in Kandahar said that the body, along with Mr. Siddiqui’s press vest, had reached the city’s main hospital around 8 p.m. on the day he was killed. His face was unrecognizable, said the official, who added that he could not determine exactly what had been done to the body.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied any wrongdoing on the part of the insurgents, saying that they were under orders to treat bodies with respect and to hand them over to local elders or the Red Cross. But the Taliban were in control of the area at the time, and some photographs showed what appeared to be the group’s fighters standing around Mr. Siddiqui’s body, which was then intact.

“Danish always chose to be on the front lines so that abuses and atrocities could not remain hidden,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “The brutality with which Taliban fighters punished Danish proves the abuses that he was documenting.”

Human Rights Watch and other watchdog groups say the Taliban have carried out a series of revenge killings in Kandahar Province, where some of the most brutal episodes in Afghanistan’s last four war-torn decades have occurred.

The Taliban rose to power from the southern province in the 1990s, promising to end atrocities carried out by local militias. In recent years, Afghan forces led by Abdul Raziq, a general who was assassinated in 2018, were accused of ruthless tactics as they fought the Taliban in Kandahar. Spin Boldak, where Mr. Siddiqui died, was General Raziq’s hometown. Reports have emerged of the Taliban detaining, and in some cases executing, people who had been associated with the general.

There are conflicting reports about what happened on July 16, as the Afghan special forces with whom Mr. Siddiqui was traveling tried to retake Spin Boldak.

Accounts from local officials, as well as Taliban members, suggest that Mr. Siddiqui and the Afghan unit’s commander were killed in a crossfire when their convoy was ambushed from multiple directions. Their bodies were left on the battlefield as the rest of the unit retreated, according to this version of events.

Some news outlets reported that Mr. Siddiqui might have been captured alive by the Taliban and then executed. Those reports could not be confirmed. One Indian official, however, said that some of Mr. Siddiqui’s wounds appeared to be from gunshots at close range.

Three days before his killing, Mr. Siddiqui posted a video on Twitter in which he said several rocket-propelled grenades had struck the armored vehicle in which he was traveling.

His body, in a closed coffin, was returned to his home in New Delhi two days after his death. The narrow alley leading to his house was crowded with neighbors and friends. Colleagues — many of whom had accompanied him as he covered some of India’s most tumultuous recent events, such as mass protests and the coronavirus pandemic — wept, hugged and consoled one another.

Mr. Siddiqui was buried late at night in a cemetery at Jamia Millia Islamia, the university in New Delhi from which he had graduated. At a candlelight vigil, reporters held pictures of him wearing his press vest. The text read simply, “Danish Siddiqui, Killed in Afghanistan.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Americas

How Argentines Cope With Inflation That’s 64% and Rising

August 7, 2022
Asia Pacific

Thailand Nightclub Fire Kills at Least 13, Injures Dozens

August 7, 2022
World

Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support

August 7, 2022
Entertainment

Senate Votes To Proceed On Democrats’ Climate, Health And Tax Package

August 7, 2022
Entertainment

Making ‘The White Lotus’ Was Like “A Fever Dream-Type TV Camp,” Says Murray Bartlett – Contenders TV: The Nominees

August 7, 2022

World

Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support

Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support

by The Avant Garde
August 7, 2022
0

<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"...

The Children of War

The Children of War

by The Avant Garde
August 7, 2022
0

Young lives cut short. Families separated. Futures clouded by pain and loss. The trauma of war hangs over a generation...

In Turbulent Times, Xi Builds a Security Fortress for China, and Himself

In Turbulent Times, Xi Builds a Security Fortress for China, and Himself

by The Avant Garde
August 7, 2022
0

Taiwan, Covid, “color revolutions,” the classroom: everywhere, China’s leader sees threats that foreign forces can exploit, and he has enlisted...

Live Updates: Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza for 2nd Day; Militants Respond With Rockets

Live Updates: Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza for 2nd Day; Militants Respond With Rockets

by The Avant Garde
August 7, 2022
0

No cease-fire appeared imminent, despite early mediation efforts by international actors, including the United Nations. The death toll from the...

Fighting Around Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Heightens Safety Fears

Fighting Around Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Heightens Safety Fears

by The Avant Garde
August 7, 2022
0

A series of blasts Friday at the plant, which the Russian military is using as cover for artillery attacks, renewed...

The Avant Garde

Get the latest stories, including breaking news on a regional and national level

Archives

  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest news
  • World
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Weather

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT