The US military has released a photo taken by a US Army camerawoman at the moment she and four Afghan soldiers died in an explosion in the Afghan province of Laghman.

The 22-year-old Hilda Clayton and four Afghan National Army personnel were killed by a mortar shell during a training exercise on July 2, 2013.

After four years, the Army University Press, a US Army multimedia organisation, has published the photo. It also released a photo by an Afghan soldier who was a trainee photojournalist and died in the explosion.

"Clayton's death symbolises how female soldiers are increasingly exposed to hazardous situations in training and in combat on par with their male counterparts," an article published by the multimedia organisation said.

It added that Clayton “help document activities aimed at shaping and strengthening the [US-Afghan] partnership but she also shared in the risk by participating in the effort”.

The Department of Defence has also had a photography award named after Clayton.