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A look back at the work of Shah Marai, AFP photojournalist killed in Kabul

Agence France-Presse’s chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, who was killed covering a suicide bombing on Monday, was a charismatic, courageous journalist who was dedicated to reporting on Afghanistan’s wrenching conflict.

The 22-year veteran of the agency leaves behind two wives and six children, including his only daughter, born earlier this month — an event that brought him great joy and was celebrated with cake at the Kabul bureau just over a week ago.

He was killed, along with at least five media colleagues, when a suicide bomber detonated himself among the crowd of journalists who had arrived to cover an earlier blast.

Marai’s versatility and easy camaraderie was demonstrated in a message moments before the second attack, in which he reassured an AFP video colleague who was stuck in traffic and could not reach the scene.

“No worry man, I am here,” the 41-year-old said by WhatsApp, adding that he was shooting video in addition to taking photos.

His powerful photographs testify to the unimaginable violence he witnessed over the years — as well as the fragile moments of beauty and joy in a country pummeled by decades of war.

Here is a look at some of Marai’s work, with their original captions, including this past week’s burials of the victims of the deadly bombing at the voter registration center in Kabul.

Read more of this story by AFP on Yahoo News >>>

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