The deadly American air strike on a hospital in northern Afghan city of Kunduz that killed 22 people was caused primarily by "human error" and officers closely associated with the incident have been suspended, a top US general based in Afghanistan said on Wednesday.
"This was a tragic, but unavoidable accident caused primarily by human error. We failed to meet our own high standard," General John Campbell commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told Pentagon media persons.
Campbell said those most closely associated with the incident had been suspended from their duties, as he announced the results of an investigation into the October 3 strike.
The hospital run by Doctors Without Borders was hit with precise and repeated airstrikes on October 3 for more than a hour, killing 22 people, including children and women.
"I can tell you that those individuals most closely associate with the incident have been suspended from their duties, pending consideration and disposition of administrative and disciplinary matters," he said.
"We propose to rebuild the hospital in Kunduz," he said. According to Campbell, the report determined that the US strike upon the MSF trauma center in KunduzCity, was the direct result of human error, compounded by systems and procedural failures.
The US forces directly involved in this incident did not know the targeted compound was the MSF trauma center, he said. "The medical facility was misidentified as a target by US personnel who believed they were striking a different building several hundred meters away where there were reports of combatants," he said.
"The report also determined that the personnel who requested the strike and those who executed it from the air did not undertake the appropriate measures to verify that the facility was a legitimate military target," Campbell said.
Reiterating that this was a tragic mistake, Campbell said US forces would never intentionally strike a hospital or other protected facilities.
The investigation found that some of the individuals involved did not follow the rules of engagement, a spokesperson of the Operation Resolute Support told media persons in response to a question.
However, the spokesperson ruled out an independent international investigation as being demanded by Doctors Without Border, which was running the Kunduz hospital -- target of airstrike.
"We are committed to ensuring that this does not happen again. We take report of civilian casualties seriously. General Campbell has already directed a thorough review of the bprocess," he said.
Image: U S Army General John Campbell, the commander of international and U S forces in Afghanistan, speaks beside a Kunduz city map during a news conference at Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph: Massoud Hossaini/Pool/Reuters