Final Click: Image by War Photographer Moments Before Her Death

An Afghan soldier engulfed in flame as a mortar tube explodes during the Afghan National Army live-fire training exercise. (Photo: AP)

The US Army has published the final photo of a combat photographer who captured on camera the blast that killed her in an accidental mortar explosion in Afghanistan nearly four years ago.

US Army combat camera photographer Spc. Hilda Clayton. (Photo: AP)

"Clayton's death symbolises how female soldiers are increasingly exposed to hazardous situations in training and in combat on par with their male counterparts," Military Review wrote.

The photo taken by Clayton. (Photo: AP)

Clayton snapped the picture during a live-fire training exercise on 2 July 2013 in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. The blast also killed four Afghan National Army soldiers. One of them was a photojournalist Clayton had partnered with to train.

Not only did Clayton help document activities aimed at shaping and strengthening the partnership, but also shared the risk by participating in the effort.

Military Review

Clayton, who was from Augusta, Georgia, was a member of the Fort Meade, Maryland-based 55th Signal Company, which is known as Combat Camera. She was 22.

A spokesman for the Network Enterprise Command said that Clayton's final photo was published with her family's permission. Combat Camera honoured Clayton by naming an annual award for the best combat photography after her, Military Review wrote.