The Taliban on July 16 denied any role in the death of a photo of Indian journalist Denmark Siddiqui who was killed when embedded with Afghan defense forces in Kandahar.
Speaking to CNN-News 18, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, “We did not realize that as long as he opened fire on the journalist was killed. We don’t know how he died.”
He also expressed regret for the death of Siddiqui, but added that journalists had to “tell” them when entering the war zone.
“Every journalist enters the war zone must notify us. We will take care of certain individuals. We regret that journalists enter the war zone without intimacy to us. We apologize for the death of India Danish Siddiqui,” he added.
Pulitzer prize winner, Siddiqui worked with Reuters. He was killed on July 15 while including clashes in the Kandahar Spin District – the main border intersection with Pakistan that the Taliban had taken over.
Siddiqui’s body was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at 5 pm local time on July 16. He is a resident of Mumbai.