US journalist, Afghan translator killed in Afghanistan

An American journalist and his Afghan translator have been killed in a Taliban ambush in southern Afghanistan.

David Gilkey of US National Public Radio (NPR) and his interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna, who were traveling with the Afghan army, came under fire by Taliban militants near the town of Marjah on Sunday, NPR confirmed.

They were on board an army Humvee with two other NPR employees who were unharmed. The driver of the vehicle and an army soldier were also killed.

Afghan officials said the vehicle was struck by shellfire when traveling on a road between Lashkar Gah and Marjah in Helmand province.

Michael Oreskes, senior vice president at NPR, said Gilkey had been covering war and conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan since the US invasion of the two countries in 2001.

The road between Marjah and Lashkar Gah had only recently been reopened by security forces after heavy fighting in the area.

Helmand has been the scene of deadly fighting between Taliban militants and government troops.

At least 27 foreign journalists have been killed since 1992 in Afghanistan, which is one of the most dangerous countries for media, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

ME