U.S. commander: Afghan forces called for airstrikes on hospital

Airstrike
(Image credit: USAF/Getty Images)

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Monday that Afghan forces had called for the deadly Saturday morning airstrikes that hit a Doctors Without Borders hospital, ABC News reports.

The Kunduz hospital, reportedly the only advanced facility in the region, closed Sunday after the strikes killed at least 22 people and damaged the building. U.S. forces have repeatedly targeted Kunduz since the Taliban took control of the city last week.

"If errors were committed, we will acknowledge them," Gen. John Campbell said.

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The U.S. military is investigating the incident, but the non-governmental organization called for an independent review and accused the U.S. of committing a war crime. Doctors Without Borders has also disputed the claim from Afghan officials that Taliban fighters were using the hospital as a base.

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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.