US strikes in Afghan hospital ‘possibly criminal’: UN rights chief

Zeid called for a transparent investigation, noting that, “if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime.” 

Doctors Without Borders — known by its French acronym MSF — said the bombardment continued for over 30 minutes after Washington was informed and that both Afghan and US officials were given the precise location of MSF facilities. This event is “utterly tragic, inexcusable and possibly even criminal,” Zeid said in a statement. 

The Afghan defence ministry said militants were targeting troops from the hospital building. 

“International and Afghan military planners have an obligation to respect and protect civilians at all times, and medical facilities and personnel are the <g data-gr-id="38">object</g> of a special protection,” Zeid said. “These obligations apply no matter whose air force is involved, and irrespective of the location,” he added. 

Saturday’s bombing came after Taliban insurgents overran the northern Afghan city on Monday. It was the first major city to be captured by militants since 2001.

Meanwhile, the  US military has acknowledged that one of its air strikes against the Taliban might have hit civilians at the hospital run by the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and that it is investigating the incident.

“The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility. This incident is under investigation,” Col Brian Tribus, a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan said.

US forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz city at 2:15 am local Afghan time against individuals threatening the force, he said. In a statement, MSF said latest casualty figures report 19 people died and 37 people seriously wounded, many of whom are MSF staff.

Some of the most critically injured are being transferred to a hospital in Puli Khumri, two hours’ drive away, it said.

Strongly condemning the air strikes, Doctors Without Borders also known as M <g data-gr-id="35">decins</g> Sans Fronti res (MSF) in a statement said that all parties to the conflict, including in Kabul and Washington, were clearly informed of the precise location via GPS coordinates of the MSF facilities in Kunduz, including the hospital, guest house, office and an outreach stabilisation unit in Chardara northwest of Kunduz.

MSF said it communicated the precise locations of its facilities to all parties on multiple occasions over the past months, including most recently on September 29. “The bombing in Kunduz continued for more than 30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed by MSF that its hospital was struck. MSF urgently seeks clarity on exactly what took place and how this terrible event could have happened,” it said.