Death of at least 9 Médecins Sans Frontières members in Kunduz hospital bombing

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported on Saturday the death of at least 9 of its staff in Kunduz, Afghanistan, due to the bombing of a hospital in the city. According to Agence France-Presse, the international charity based in Paris stated that in addition to these 9 individuals, more than 37 others were injured in the 'ongoing bombing' of this medical facility. Médecins Sans Frontières also indicated that it does not yet know the final toll of casualties. The organization's statement mentioned that the hospital building suffered significant damage. Although Médecins Sans Frontières did not disclose the nationality of the victims, the Associated Press reports that the deceased were local employees of the organization. Despite the shock and grief caused by the bombing and the death of its staff, Médecins Sans Frontières announced that it continues to treat the injured. Meanwhile, U.S. military forces in Afghanistan stated that they had conducted airstrikes near the time the hospital was targeted. The city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan was captured by Taliban militants the previous Monday, described as the Taliban's biggest victory in Afghanistan in the past 14 years. The U.S. and its allies overthrew the Taliban in 2001, paving the way for democracy in Afghanistan. Recently, U.S. air forces have conducted attacks against Taliban positions in Kunduz to allow Afghan forces to retake it. Although the Afghan government announced that it had regained full control of the city by late Thursday, some reports indicate that battles continue in the city. The Afghan government and Amnesty International have reported killings of military and civilians, sexual assaults, and abuse of Kunduz residents by the Taliban in recent days.