UN Condemns Attack on Kunduz Hospital; Obama: We Will Investigate

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the airstrike on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on Saturday, October 3, which left at least 19 dead, stating that the attack could be considered a "war crime." According to reports, the airstrike was likely carried out by the US Air Force, and in this context, US President Barack Obama promised that his administration would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Reports indicate that Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) announced that 12 of its staff members and seven patients were killed in the airstrike on the hospital in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan. Médecins Sans Frontières also stated that at least 37 people were injured in the attack, which occurred at 2:10 AM local time on Saturday. The statement emphasized that Médecins Sans Frontières had previously informed international coalition and Afghan military officials of the hospital's exact location, which was marked by GPS. Meanwhile, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, described the attack on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz as "unjustifiable" and emphasized that if it is proven in court that the attack was intentional, it could be considered a war crime. According to AFP, the UN Human Rights Commissioner stated in his statement: "This incident is deeply regrettable, unjustifiable, and could even be considered criminal." In response to the airstrike on the hospital in Kunduz, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter stated that a "full investigation" has been initiated. This comes as US military forces in Afghanistan had previously announced that airstrikes were conducted near the time the hospital building was targeted. Following the capture of Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan by Taliban militants last Monday, government forces, with the support of international coalition forces, began operations to drive the Taliban out of the city. The Afghan government announced on Thursday evening that government forces had managed to expel the Taliban from Kunduz. According to news reports, the capture of Kunduz by the Taliban is considered the group’s biggest victory in Afghanistan in the past 14 years.