At least 19 people are dead and 37 injured after suspected U.S. airstrike at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan Saturday.
At least 12 members of the organization have been killed along with at least three children and dozens still remain unaccounted for.
The Washington Post reported that in a statement Doctors Without Border said an airstrike “partially destroyed” its trauma hospital in Kunduz where the Afghan military has been trying to drive Taliban fighters from the city. The organization's president Meinie Nicolai also added “This attack is abhorrent and a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law.”
Nicolai, along with the top United Nations human rights official, is calling for an independent investigation into the tragedy.
CNN also reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement “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 Doctors Without Borders facility was hit by a series of aerial strikes early this morning that set off fires that continued for several hours. According to reports, the main hospital building which houses the intensive care unit, emergency rooms and the physiotherapy ward were hit repeatedly while surrounding buildings went mostly untouched.
According to both CNN and Washington Post reports, an anonymous U.S. military official said that U.S. troops detected incoming fire from the Taliban so they authorized an AC-130 gunship to return fire at an area that was apparently close to the hospital.
The airstrike has been condemned by both the Red Cross and the U.N. mission in Afghanistan.