Doctors Without Borders: 19 dead in Afghan clinic airstrike

© Médecins Sans Frontières via AP

Doctors Without Borders: 19 dead in Afghan clinic airstrike - The international charity Doctors  with no  Borders said  at least  19 people,  such as  12 local staffers, were killed  Whenever   their  clinic came under "sustained bombing" Saturday  on the  northern Afghan city  associated with  Kunduz,  during which  Afghan officials said helicopter gunships had returned fire  through  Taliban fighters sheltering  at the  facility.

The group said  ones  facility,  that will   \'m  treating  over  100 patients, came under attack  in  2:08 a.m. (2138 GMT).  your current  charity did not say  whether  insurgents were present,  IN ADDITION TO   It   am  not  instantly  clear  no matter whether   ones  staffers were killed  by the  Taliban, government  or perhaps  U.S. forces.  the  group said another 30  a person  were still missing  immediately after   your current  incident.

The dead included  ten  patients  through the  intensive care unit, among them three children,  The idea  said.  earnings   involving  37  you  were injured,  such as  19  an employee  members,  AS WELL AS  18 patients  IN ADDITION TO  caretakers.  several   of a  injured  workers  were  within   important  condition,  This  said.

Afghan forces backed  through  U.S. airstrikes  has been  battling  ones  Taliban street-by-street  in  Kunduz  considering that the  Thursday,  to be able to  dislodge insurgents  which  seized  your own  strategic city three days  sooner   inside   the   biggest  foray  straight into   a great   largest  urban  area   since  U.S.-led invasion  regarding  2001.

The Ministry  involving  Defense said "terrorists" armed  within  light  ALONG WITH  heavy weapons had entered  your  hospital compound  AND   taken  "the buildings  along with the   you   within   being a  shield"  whilst  firing  with   protection  forces. Brig. Gen. Dawlat Waziri,  ones  ministry's deputy spokesman, told  your own  Associated  Click   That  helicopter gunships fired  towards  militants, causing damage  to the  buildings.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said 10  to help  15 "terrorists" had been hiding  in the  hospital  at the   time frame   of a  strike. "All  of the  terrorists were killed but  we   in addition  lost doctors," he said. He said 80  personnel   in the  hospital,  just like  15 foreigners, had been  accepted   to be able to  safety. He did not say what sort  associated with  strike had damaged  your  compound.

But Doctors  with no  Borders said "all indications  today  point  for the  bombing being  accomplished  international coalition forces."  in   the  statement,  this company  said  your  attack  feel   a great  "grave violation  connected with  international humanitarian law"  ALONG WITH  demanded  a  independent investigation.

Army Col. Brian Tribus,  a  spokesman  with regard to  American forces  with  Afghanistan, said  a great  U.S. airstrike  in  Kunduz  from  2:15 a.m. "may have resulted  in  collateral damage  for you to   a good  nearby medical facility"  AND   the  incident  am  under investigation. He said  The idea   \'m   your  12th U.S. airstrike "in  your current  Kunduz vicinity"  since  Tuesday.

President Ashraf Ghani expressed his sorrow  ALONG WITH  said he  and also the  commander  involving  U.S.  ALONG WITH  NATO forces  throughout  Afghanistan, U.S. Army Gen. John Campbell had "agreed  in order to   benefits   a  joint  AND ALSO   comprehensive  investigation."

Doctors  without  Borders,  furthermore  known  because of the  French acronym MSF, said  its  trauma center "was hit  many  times  throughout  sustained bombing  ALONG WITH   are  very badly damaged."  in the  time,  ones  hospital had 105 patients  AND   its  caretakers,  AS WELL AS   a lot more than  80 international  AS WELL AS  Afghan staff,  This  said.

The U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said  It   if   a great  investigation found  the  hospital  am  purposefully targeted,  ones  incident  could  constitute  a  war crime.

Calling  ones  incident "tragic, inexcusable  AND   maybe  even criminal," he said  in   an  statement, "if  public   In the same way  deliberate  inside   a great  court  associated with  law,  the  airstrike  with   a great  hospital  can   amount   to   a  war crime."

The U.S. Secretary  of  Defense Ash Carter said  a great  investigation  is usually  underway. "The  location   has been   the  scene  of  intense fighting  your current  last few days. U.S. forces  with   assist   associated with  Afghan  security  forces were  managing  nearby,  Just like  were Taliban fighters," he said  inside   an  statement. "A full investigation  directly into   your own  tragic incident  is usually  underway  within  coordination  through the  Afghan government."

AP  online video   of an  compound showed burning buildings  inside  firearms — automatic rifles  AND ALSO   a minimum of   solitary  Russian-made machine gun —  for the  windowsills pointed outward.

Doctors  with no  Borders did not comment  to the  identities  of your  30 missing people, but said  most   connected with   their  international staffers were alive  IN ADDITION TO  accounted for.  This  said  It  regularly updated  it\'s  GPS coordinates  inside   almost all  parties  to the  conflict.

It said  This   by  2:08 a.m.  to  3:15 a.m. Saturday,  your own  hospital  \'m  hit  through  bombs  on  15-minute intervals.  The item  quotes Kunduz-based doctor Heman Nagarathnam saying  ones  planes repeatedly circled overhead  during   That  time.

"There  was   a good  pause,  next   added  bombs hit.  the  happened again  AND ALSO  again.  my partner and i   achieved it  out  with the  office,  your current  main hospital building  are  engulfed  with  flames," Nagarathnam said according  towards  MSF statement. "Those  an individual   The idea  could, had moved  quickly   on the  building's  only two  bunkers  for you to  seek safety. But patients  that  were unable  for you to  escape burned  to  death  In the same way  they lay  in   its  beds."

Fighting raged  from the  day,  AS WELL AS   at   approximately   two  p.m.,  your own  Taliban seized  ones  medical compound,  Based on  Sarwar Hussaini,  ones  spokesman  to its  provincial police chief. "Fighting  is  continuing between Afghan  protection  forces  plus the  Taliban," he said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had  before   granted   an   report  saying there were  no  Taliban fighters  in the  hospital  with the   night out   of a  bombing. He  additionally  accused Afghanistan's intelligence  ASSIST   regarding  deliberately directing airstrikes  on the  hospital.

Adil Akbar,  a great  doctor  on the  trauma center  which   \'m   from  duty  in the  time, told AP  the   operating  theater, emergency room  along with other  parts  of the  hospital complex had been hit  on the  bombing.  your current  clinic  is a  sprawling facility  inside   numerous  buildings situated  at the  east  of a  city,  with   an  residential  place  close  towards  local  office   of your  NDS intelligence service.

"I managed  to help  escape  after   your  attack but  we   know   The idea   just about all   of your   staff   and in some cases   a series of   of the  patients  are  missing," he said.

Doctors  devoid of  Borders,  that   operates   in  conflict zones  Round the  globe, said  The item  had treated 394  you  wounded  in  fighting  considering that the  Taliban attacked  your  city. Afghan forces went  within   with  Thursday,  and also the  fighting  have been  underway  since the  then.

Sediqqi said Afghan forces were still sweeping  The town   for  militants, conducting "meter  to be able to  meter, house  to help  house operations"  The item  would  progress  until "all  those  bad elements" had been eliminated.

Electricity  IN ADDITION TO  water  has been  cut off  since the  Taliban's seizure  of a  city  at  Monday, officials  ALONG WITH   citizens  said.  foods   IN ADDITION TO  medical  supplies   are unable to   carry   through   since the  Afghan military  can be  still  working   for you to  clear mines planted  with the  Taliban. Sporadic gunfights continued  in numerous  pockets  of any  city  Just as  troops advance.

Most  of an  Taliban appear  to acquire  fled  Metropolis   after   your current  troops moved  with   on  Thursday,  taking  looted vehicles, weapons  IN ADDITION TO  ammunition  inside  them.

Officials have reported  That   It offers  moved east,  in  Takhar  AS WELL AS  Badakhshan provinces,  in which   many  districts fell  for the  Taliban  in  Friday.  the  Defense Ministry said troops had retaken  your  Baharak district  right after  retreating under fire Friday.