Wellington, Jan 21 NZPA - The New Zealand Herald says it published a photo of two New Zealand SAS soldiers in Afghanistan for its news value and doesn't believe the men were put at risk by its decision.

One of the men pictured in the photo taken in the capital Kabul has been identified as Corporal Willie Apiata, the first soldier to win the Victoria Cross since World War 2.

The New Zealand soldiers were in the city helping restore order after Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers attacked this week.

The photo was taken by photographer Philip Poupin and published in The New Zealand Herald today.

The paper's assistant editor John Roughan said staff did not know Cpl Apiata was in the photo when they decide to print it on the basis of its "strong news value".

"It was New Zealand's first glimpse of our forces in Kabul," he told Radio New Zealand.

"We didn't even know they were there until a few days beforehand, when the New York Times revealed it to us...this was the first chance we had to actually look at them, to see them in action."

Mr Roughan did not believe publication put the soldiers at risk.

"That's something that we always consider, but in this case the soldiers were out in a public place, in a public street, in a major city, visible to anybody, wearing uniform, carrying their guns...there seemed no reason for the Herald or anybody else to hide their identities."

The paper would not have printed Cpl Apiata's name, he said.

"We wouldn't have identified him in that sense, but when he's on patrol, in Kabul, in public, we don't think that he's preserved from being photographed."

The paper would do the same thing again, "... if we had pictures of news value and we were confident that they wouldn't put anybody at risk."

New Zealand Defence Force spokesman, Commander Shaun Fogarty, refused to say if publication of the photograph was likely to make Cpl Apiata a greater target among Taliban.

"Those are operational issues and we don't comment on the operational issues of the SAS and that won't change."

Afghanistan was an "extreme risk environment", he said.

"It is high-risk for anyone there, particularly serving with the special forces.

"Any photo of this nature is of concern to the New Zealand Defence Force whether it be Cpl Apiata of anyone else serving there. We are very disappointed."

Cpl Apiata's future in Afghanistan was an operational issue, which would not be discussed, Cdr Fogarty said.

The publication of the photograph broke a long-standing convention -- "a robust gentlemen's arrangement with all New Zealand media agencies that photos like this would not be published, which compromise the safety of our people serving the country overseas."

The publication would be discussed with the Herald newspaper.

Prime Minister John Key said he was "very disappointed" with the Herald, which should have blacked out the men's faces.

A high level of secrecy was needed for the SAS, he said.

"The Taliban and Al Qaeda were always aware they were there so there was no secret that the New Zealand SAS were in Kabul.

"But we don't want them to know the names and individual identities of members of the SAS because of the nature of some of their operations, and they would be at a greater risk if they can be identified."

The publication of the photograph put Cpl Apiata's life and the lives of other SAS soldiers at risk, Mr Key said.

He thought it was unlikely Cpl Apiata would return to New Zealand before the end of his rotation.

"At the end of the day, people knew he was in the SAS and there was always the chance people might take the view that he might be back there."

Cpl Apiata won the Victoria Cross in 2004 after he hoisted a wounded comrade onto his back and carried him to safety after his SAS unit was ambushed at night on a hillside outside a village in Afghanistan.

Medics said the wounded soldier needed urgent medical treatment and would almost certainly have died if Cpl Apiata had not carried him 70 metres through heavy fire to safety.

He rearmed himself and rejoined the firefight.