UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain said the bombing of an Afghan hospital in Kunduz by the US may constitute a war crime.
The US-led air strike on the hospital in the Taliban-held city of Kunduz killed at least 19 people, including 12 staff of Doctors Without Borders.
Mr Hussain said the attack was "inexcusable" and possibly criminal, and called for a full and transparent investigation, saying that "if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime".
US defence chief Ash Carter described the incident as "tragic" and acknowledged that US forces were operating nearby in support of the Afghan army.
"While we are still trying to determine exactly what happened, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to everyone affected. A full investigation into the tragic incident is underway in coordination with the Afghan government."
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office said Army General John Campbell, head of the US-led forces in Afghanistan, had apologised for the incident.
MSF officials said they "frantically phoned" NATO and Washington DC, as the attack went on for "nearly an hour".
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bart Janssesns, MSF operations chief, demanded "more answers" from the US government, adding that the location of the hospital has been well-known by US-led forces for the last five years.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
