Army Colonel Brian Tribus, a spokesman for American forces in Afghanistan, said a United States airstrike on Kunduz at 2:15am “may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility” and that the incident was under investigation.
Advertisement
The charity said 16, including 3 children were among the dead after its hospital came under “sustained bombing” as government and worldwide forces continue to battle Taliban fighters in the northern city of Kunduz.
Campbell added that US forces were not under direct fire in the incident and the airstrike had not been called on their behalf, contrary to previous statements from the USA military.
The U.S. hit a huge hospital full of wounded patients and MSF staff, ‘ MSF general director Christopher Stokes said.
MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has demanded an independent worldwide probe into the strike, which it referred to as a “war crime”.
“An internal investigation by a party to the conflict would be wholly insufficient”.
Bombs struck the main hospital building housing the intensive care unit and emergency rooms – surrounding buildings were unharmed. This hospital is said to be the only one that can deal with the major injuries. But the militant group’s takeover of Kunduz last week thrust the US forces back into a combat role, launching airstrikes and exchanging fire with insurgents around Afghanistan’s fifth-largest city.
At least 22 people including doctors of the organization Doctor’s without Borders were killed and several others were injured after their hospital was hit in the raid. Asked about those procedures, Campbell said he would not discuss the rules of engagement under which USA forces operate.
As to that, General Campbell said today the USA military, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Afghanistan are already investigating.
But he promised a thorough and transparent investigation and pledged “if errors were committed we will acknowledge them”.
MSF says Afghan attempts to justify the strike amount to “an admission of a war crime”.
MSF said Saturday that it had given its coordinates to both sides involved in the fighting, including Washington and Kabul. Full accounting of the circumstances is expected, but before then, Obama said that he will refrain from making judgements. But the civilian toll is feared to be heavy, with residents having to live without food, water or electricity for much of the past week.
The Afghan government has been defending the attack, with the Kunduz governor claiming the hospital was “a Taliban base” and the Defense Ministry labeling the slain hospital workers and patients as “armed terrorists”.
Advertisement
In addition to conducting house-to-house searches in the city, government forces have surrounded the outskirts of the city, where they will engage Taliban fighters in order to “avoid civilian casualties” in residential areas, he said.
