Doctors Without Borders closes Afghan hospital after airstrikes

Doctors Without Borders hospital
(Image credit: Doctors Without Borders/Twitter)

Doctors Without Borders closed its northern Afghanistan hospital Sunday, one day after being hit in airstrikes possibly carried out by U.S. forces, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The organization evacuated its foreign staff after at least 12 staff members and seven patients were killed in the assault that partially destroyed the Kunduz building. It also denied that Taliban fighters were behind the attack.

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Th hospital, in the town overtaken by Taliban forces Monday, was reportedly the only facility in the area equipped to treat serious injuries.

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The U.S. military is conducting an investigation into the incident. President Obama offered his "deepest condolences" to the victims in a statement late Saturday.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.