Journalist Killed by Afghan Police Officer

KABUL, Afghanistan — A Pulitzer-prize winning photographer for The Associated Press was killed and a reporter from the news agency was wounded by a police officer in eastern Afghanistan on Friday. Anja Niedringhaus, 48, a photographer who had covered numerous conflicts, and Kathy Gannon, 60, a reporter, were shot in Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan where they had traveled to cover preparations for the country’s presidential election on Saturday. Both had spent many years covering the war in Afghanistan and knew the country well. Ms. Gannon, who was shot twice, was receiving treatment at a hospital in the city of Khost, the provincial capital. The A.P. said that she was in stable condition and talking to medical personnel. An official from the American-led coalition later said that Ms. Gannon was being evacuated by foreign forces to one of the main NATO bases in the country, where there is a hospital equipped to handle severe battlefield traumas. “Anja and Kathy together have spent years in Afghanistan covering the conflict and the people there,” said Kathleen Carroll, the executive editor of the news agency. “Anja was a vibrant, dynamic journalist, well loved for her insightful photographs, her warm heart and joy for life. We are heartbroken at her loss.”