KABUL — U.S. forces may have mistakenly bombed a hospital in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 19 people, including three children, in an incident that will probably raise new questions about the scope of American involvement in the 14-year war.
In a statement, Doctors Without Borders said an airstrike “partially destroyed” their trauma hospital in Kunduz, where the Afghan military has been trying to drive Taliban fighters from the city.
The airstrike killed at least 12 Doctors Without Borders staff members, the group said. Seven patients, including three children, were also reportedly killed. At least 37 other people were seriously injured, including 19 staff members and 18 patients and caretakers. Officials warned the death toll could rise as dozens of people remained unaccounted for.
“This attack is abhorrent and a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law,” group president Meinie Nicolai said in a statement. “We demand total transparency from coalition forces. We cannot accept that this horrific loss of life will simply be dismissed as ‘collateral damage.’ “
“We are deeply shocked by the attack, the killing of our staff and patients and the heavy toll it has inflicted on Kunduz,” said Bart Janseens, director of operations for the hospital. “We do not yet have final casualty figures, but our medical teams are providing first aid and treating injured patients and … accounting for the deceased.”
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter issued a statement saying: “While we are still trying to determine exactly what happened, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to everyone affected. A full investigation into the tragic incident is underway in coordination with the Afghan government.”
The United Nations’ top human rights official called for an independent investigation, while equating the airstrike on the hospital to a war crime.
“This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and possibly even criminal,” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. “This deeply shocking event should be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated, and the results should be made public. The seriousness of the incident is underlined by the fact that, if established as deliberate in a court of law, an airstrike on a hospital may amount to a war crime.”
Over the past week, U.S. military jets have conducted numerous airstrikes in Kunduz after the Taliban overwhelmed Afghan security forces Monday. American Special Operations troops and on-the-ground military advisers from the NATO coalition also have been assisting Afghan forces.
Doctors Without Borders was one of the last remaining international relief organizations in Kunduz. The United Nations and several other relief groups evacuated their staffers Monday as the Taliban advanced into the city.
In a statement, the U.S.-led coalition confirmed it carried out an airstrike about 2 a.m. Saturday in response to “individuals threatening the force.”
“The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility,” said Col. Brian Tribus, a coalition spokesman. “This incident is under investigation.”
