The US military on Saturday acknowledged it may have bombed a hospital run by medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the Afghan city of Kunduz in an air strike, at 2:15 am (2145 GMT), that has killed 16 people and wounded 37.
The first bomb struck at 2:10 am and MSF staff called the NATO officials in Kabul and military officials in Washington later. However, the bombing continued till 3:13 am, an MSF official said.
Six days ago, the Taliban seized Kunduz after a 14-years long insurgency.
Government backed forces, with the help of the US, are trying to force the Taliban out.
The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility. This incident is under investigation.
— Col. Brian Tribus, US Forces Spokesperson
Many patients and staff remain missing after the attack that happened at a time when almost 200 patients and employees were in the hospital, the only one in the region that can deal with major injuries, MSF said.
Thick black smoke could be seen rising from some of the rooms. The fighting is still going on, so we had to leave.
— Saad Mukhtar, Kunduz Public Health Director
Former President Hamid Karzai fell out with his backers in Washington over the number of civilians killed by bombs.
The incident has raised concerns about use of US air power in Afghanistan.
There have been 12 US backed air strikes this week in the country.
Both Sides Cautioned Against Bombing the Hospital
MSF said it gave the location of the hospital, which is on the frontline of the conflict zone,to both sides several times in the past few months, as well as this week, to avoid being caught in crossfire.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said US air strikes targeted the hospital, killing killed patients, doctors and nurses. No militant fighter was a patient, the group said.
On Friday, Taliban fighters hiding behind the walls of the hospital were firing at government forces, said Khodaidad, a Kunduz resident who lives near the hospital.
MSF said it had treated almost 400 patients in the 150-bed hospital since fighting broke out, most for gunshot wounds.
This is an appalling tragedy. Such attacks undermine the capacity of humanitarian organizations to assist the Afghan people at a time when they most urgently need it.
— Jean-Nicolas Marti, ICRC Afghanistan Head
So many patients have flooded in that the hospital has had to put them in offices and on mattresses on the floor.