Associated Press photographer Dar Yasin has won the newly established Yannis Behrakis International Photojournalism Award for his coverage of the Kashmir conflict.

Athens Photo World organizers in Athens, announcing the winner Tuesday, described the 46-year-old staffer's work as a "testament to his courage and resilience."

Tensions in Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan region divided between Pakistan and India but claimed by both in its entirety, have escalated in recent weeks following a decision by New Delhi to downgrade the Indian-administered area’s semi-autonomy.

The annual competition was established in memory of Yannis Behrakis, the award-winning Greek photographer who died of cancer earlier this year, at 58.

Yasin, based in Srinagar, the main city Indian-held Kashmir, will receive a 15,000-euro prize and will exhibit his work in Athens next summer, organizers said.