Death toll of U.S. airstrike on MSF hospital in Afghanistan rises to 30

(Xinhua) -- The death toll of a U.S. airstrike on a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international medical charity, in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province has risen to 30, the aid group's website reported on Sunday.

The Taliban militant group captured Kunduz city, capital of Kunduz province on Sept. 29. They held the city for two weeks. On Oct. 3, U.S. air strikes mistakenly struck the hospital during clashes between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters.

"A total of 30 people are now confirmed dead due to the October 3 attacks, up from 22, as was reported earlier. One additional MSF staff member was recently confirmed to have died, which means that MSF has confirmed that the assault killed a total of 13 MSF staff members and 10 patients. Seven other bodies were found in the wreckage but could not be identified. It is presumed that one of those was an MSF staff member and two were patients, but that has not yet been confirmed," the MSF said in a statement.

The identities of four other victims remained unknown, it said, adding, "all have been buried."

The attack completely destroyed the hospital while at least 27 MSF staff and several patients and their caretakers sustained injuries by the attack.

While an investigation is going on by U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the MSF has repeatedly called for an independent international committee to investigate the attack.

On Saturday, the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission said a RS Combined Civilian Casualty Assessment Team (CCAT) is continuing its inquiry into the incident.

"To ensure the U.S. national investigation is conducted in an independent and unbiased manner, Gen. John Campbell, Resolute Support Commander, has appointed U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Hickman and two Brigadier Generals, all from outside the command, to conduct the U.S. national investigation into this incident. They will continue the work on the national investigation begun by Brig. Gen. Richard Kim," the RS said in a statement.

"The investigations are independent, and the results of one are not bound by those of the other," the RS statement added.