AFP Chief Photographer Among Those Killed In Double Afghanistan Blasts

Agence France-Presse (AFP) has announced that their chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, is among one of the many who has died in a suicide bombing attack. 

The AFP describe Shah has a 'charismatic, courageous journalist who was dedicated to reporting on Afghanistan's wrenching conflict.'

Shah Marai worked for AFP for 22 years and he was killed, along with at least 5 other media representatives and several civilians, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device among a crowd of journalists who had gathered to report on a previous bomb blast. 

"His powerful photographs are a testament to the unimaginable violence he witnessed over the years - as well as the fragile moments of beauty and joy in a country pummelled by decades of war," says the AFP in a statement on their website. 

"This is a devastating blow, for the brave staff of our close-knit Kabul bureau and the entire agency. Shah Marai was a treasured colleague who spent more than 15 years documenting the tragic conflict in Afghanistan for AFP," said Michèle Leridon, AFP Global News Director. "We can only honour the extraordinary strength, courage, and generosity of a photographer who covered often traumatic, horrific events with sensitivity and consummate professionalism."