A dramatic picture of a fatally wounded photojournalist in Burma has won a Pulitzer Prize for Reuters photographer Adrees Latif who described the accolade as the ?highest honour?.

Latif won the award in the Breaking News Photography category with his photo of Japanese videographer Kenji Nagai who had been shot by soldiers during a street demonstration in Myanmar last year.

The image was published worldwide following the incident in September.

?Adrees is one of those rare talents whose presence on an assignment puts the mind of the editor at ease knowing that the picture coverage will not only be competitive but exceptionally high quality,? said Reuters Global Pictures Editor Thomas Szlukovenyi.

Speaking after his win, Latif said: ?This image gave the world insight into Myanmar?s desire for change. For me, as a journalist, the highest honour is that the world will remember this story long after it has disappeared from the headlines.?

Nagai, who worked for Tokyo-based agency APF News, was reported to have been killed by security forces as he tried to get through a blockade of Burmese troops ? who then fired to disperse the crowd.

Images captured in the aftermath of the attack revealed that Nagai continued to record images, even after being caught up in the gunfire.

Pakistan-born Latif worked for Reuters in Houston and Los Angeles, United States, before moving to a position in Bangkok, Thailand, five years ago.

Picture credit: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Reuters/Adrees Latif