MSF 'disgust' at government hospital claims

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said it is "disgusted" by Afghan government statements justifying an air strike on its hospital in Kunduz, calling it an "admission of a war crime".

MSF said the statement implies US and Afghan forces decided to bomb a hospital because of claims Taliban members were inside.

The charity blames US-led Nato forces for Saturdays attack which killed at least 22 people, including MSF staff.

The US is investigating the incident.

Afghan government forces, backed by the US-led coalition are engaged in a battle to retake the northern city of Kunduz from Taliban fighters who seized it last month.
'Raze to the ground'

On Saturday the Afghan defence ministry said "armed terrorists" were using the hospital "as a position to target Afghan forces and civilians".

MSF said in a statement: "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...
 BBC
5/10/15
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Related:

• UN chief slams deadly Afghan hospital airstrikes 

• Afghanistan: Kunduz hospital airstrikes ‘tragic and inexcusable,’ say UN officials 

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