Obama apologises for Afghan hospital bombing

The president of Medecins Sans Frontieres has reiterated the organisation's call for an independent investigation into the US air strike which accidentally killed 22 people at a hospital in Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama called Dr. Joanne Liu on Wednesday to apologise for the strike on the charity's hospital in Kunduz

Following the call, Dr Liu said: "We reiterate our ask that the US government consent to an independent investigation led by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission to establish what happened in Kunduz, how it happened, and why it happened."

US President Barack Obama has apologised to medical charity Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) following the bombing of a hospital in Afghanistan.

President Obama also called Afghanistan's president to express his condolences after the US air strike killed 22 people.

The White House said the President spoke with MSF International President Dr. Joanne Liu.

"During the call, President Obama expressed regret over the tragic incident and offered his thoughts and prayers on behalf of the American people to the victims, their families, and loved ones," a White House spokesman said.

"The President assured Dr. Liu of his expectation that the Department of Defense investigation currently underway would provide a transparent, thorough, and objective accounting of the facts and circumstances of the incident and pledged full cooperation with the joint investigations being conducted with NATO and the Afghan Government."

Robert Moore: Will we be able to trust America's own probes into Kunduz bombing?

Medical aid group Medicens Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said it would consider seeking criminal charges following the bombing of a hospital in Afghanistan's Kunduz on Saturday.

Speaking during a press conference this morning MSF officials also said they would be demanding an independent investigation into the air strike which led to the death of 22 people and was "an attack on the Geneva conventions".

Kundaz's MSF run hospital was reportedly hit as many as five times in an hour by US led air strikes. American commanders have said the medical facility was "mistakenly struck" and was not a target.

The top US commander in Afghanistan says the recent air strike on a hospital in the northern city of Kunduz was a mistake.

General John Campbell told the US Senate armed services committee that it was a US decision to conduct the air strike and that the hospital was "mistakenly struck".

Gen Campbell's evidence came three days after the air strike on the medical clinic killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more.

The clinic was operated by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders.

Gen Campbell said on Monday that the air strike was requested by Afghan forces who reported being under Taliban fire.

The United States military has expressed "deepest condolences" to the civilians killed in an airstrike on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

Pentagon official General John Campbell says that Afghan forces said they were taking fire from enemy positions and asked for air support.

General Campbell said the Taliban for "fighting within the city" that put civilians in harm's way, and US advice and air support would still be available for Afghan forces despite the tragedy.

"We have now learned that on 3rd October Afghan forces advised that they were taking fire from enemy positions and asked for air support from U.S. forces," Campbell said. "An air strike was then called to eliminate the Taliban threat and several civilians were accidentally struck."

He did not specify if the air strike had struck the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital.

The deadly air strike on Saturday killed 22 people when it hit the medical facility.

Investigations by Nato and Afghan forces will be carried out, Campbell said.

Medical aid group Medicens Sans Frontieres (MSF) has called for an "independent international body" to investigate the air strike that killed 22 people at its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

"Under the clear presumption that a war crime has been committed, MSF demands that a full and transparent investigation into the event be conducted by an independent international body," Christopher Stokes, MSF General Director said.

The group earlier denied that Taliban fighters were firing from its hospital at Afghan and Nato forces before the strike, which is thought to have been carried out by US planes.

MSF also updated the death toll from the attack, saying that 12 staff member and ten patients were killed, including three children.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders - or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) - has withdrawn from of Kunduz following the bombing of its hospital in the northern Afghan city.

The deadly air strike on Saturday killed 19 people when it hit the medical facility.

Kate Stegeman, the group's communications manager, said some staff are still working in other health facilities in the city, where troops have been battling Taliban fighters.

The international charity tweeted a message of thanks on Twitter to those who had supported the group and sent messages of condolencesince the tragedy.

Investigations are continuing into the bombing of the hospital.

US President Barack Obama has offered his "deepest condolences" to the medical staff and civilians killed and injured in the bombing of the MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

A statement from the White House said that the Department of Defence had launched a "full investigation".

"Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to all of the civilians affected by this incident, their families, and loves ones," the statement said.

"We will continue to work closely with President Ghani, the Afghan government, and our international partners to support the Afghan National Defence and Security forces as they work to secure their country."