Killed in Ambush: Renowned American Journalist and Translator Killed in Afghanistan

David Gilkey, a journalist for National Public Radio (NPR), and Zabihullah Tamana were traveling with the Afghan army when they came under fire and their vehicle was hit by a grenade, the BBC reported, as carried by the Patria news agency.

Their driver, an Afghan soldier, was also killed in the attack. Two other NPR employees traveling with them survived without serious injuries.

The vehicle carrying Gilkey (50) and Tamana (38) was hit near the town of Marjah, according to a statement from NPR.

Tamana was a photographer and journalist in Afghanistan, as well as a translator. Michael Oreskes, senior vice president of NPR, paid tribute to the journalist:

- David covered wars and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11. He was determined to help the public learn about these wars and the people trapped in them. He lost his life on that mission. As a man and a photojournalist, David showed the humanity of everyone around him. He allowed us to see the world and each other through his eyes, Oreskes said in his address.

David Gilkey is the first American journalist outside the military to be killed in the conflict in Afghanistan.

During his career, he received many awards, including a national Emmy in 2007 for a video series about American Marines from Michigan serving in the Iraq war.

The White House News Photographers Association named him Photographer of the Year in 2011.

David's work on investigating healthcare for veterans and covering the Ebola crisis brought awards to his home network NPR.

Last year, David Gilkey received the Edward R. Murrow Award for covering international news, military conflicts and natural disasters, according to the BBC report.