Hospital in Afghanistan May Have Been Hit in US Airstrike

Hospital in Afghanistan May Have Been Hit in US Airstrike

Nineteen people – including 12 staff and 7 patients – were killed today when an airstrike hit a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. And it appears that this may be a terrible incidence of “friendly fire,” as preliminary reports indicate that this was a US-led NATO airstrike.

The burned out hospital in Kunduz, October 3, 2015 (photo: AP)
The burned out hospital in Kunduz, October 3, 2015 (photo: AP)

The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan says the military is opening an investigation into the deadly bombing of a Doctors Without Borders facility in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz.

“While we work to thoroughly examine the incident and determine what happened, my thoughts and prayers are with those affected,” said Gen. John F. Campbell in a statement.

U.S. forces conducted an airstrike “in the vicinity” of the hospital around 2:15 a.m. local time, targeting insurgents who were firing upon U.S. service members “advising and assisting” Afghan security forces, the statement said.

The charity reports that the hospital was repeatedly bombed at approximately 15-minute intervals between 2:08 a.m. and 3:15 a.m. Saturday morning.

The Taliban attacked Kunduz this last Monday, according to reports.

Doctors Without Borders said it had treated 394 people wounded in fighting since the Taliban attacked the city. Afghan forces went in on Thursday, and the fighting has been underway since then. At the time of the airstrike there were 105 patients and their caretakers in the hospital, alongside more than 80 Doctors Without Borders staffers.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said 10 to 15 “terrorists” had been hiding in the hospital at the time of the strike. “All of the terrorists were killed but we also lost doctors,” he told a press conference. He said 80 staff at the hospital, including 15 foreigners, had been taken to safety.

Doctors Without Borders said all of its international staffers were alive and accounted for. It said it regularly updated its GPS coordinates with all parties to the conflict.

Of course, this is horrible, as any loss of innocent life is during a battle, and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is promising a “full investigation.” But the media is strangely quiet.

And of course, President Obama is nowhere to be seen.


There’s no political advantage to be gained by this, so of course the president has nothing to say. Especially when he would have to take a hit for this one. And if we’ve learned nothing over the last seven years, Barack Obama only takes credit, not blame. Blame is for the underlings.

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