The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors without Borders has expressed disgust over statements coming from some Afghanistan government authorities justifying the attack on its hospital in Kunduz, the charity said on Monday.
These statements imply that Afghan and US forces working together decided to raze to the ground a fully functioning hospital – with more than 180 staff and patients inside – because they claim that members of the Taliban were present. This amounts to an admission of a war crime, it added.
Afghan officials had said helicopter gunships returned fire from Taliban fighters who were hiding in the facility
Christopher Stokes, General Director of the MSF however, said the statements by the Afghan officials contradict the initial attempts of the US government to minimize the attack as 'collateral damage'. There can be no justification for this abhorrent attack on our hospital that resulted in the deaths of MSF staff as they worked and patients as they lay in their beds. MSF reiterates its demand for a full transparent and independent international investigation, he said.
On Sunday, a day after US military airstrikes heavily hit its hospital, the MSF pulled out its staff from Kunduz. Kate Stegeman, MSF Spokesperson said their hospital in Kunduz City was not functional anymore, but some staff remained at other hospitals where some of the wounded had been taken.
At 2.10am on Saturday October 03, the MSF Trauma centre in Kunduz was hit several times during overnight airstrike killing at least nine staffers and leaving over 30 wounded.
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