Air strike on Kunduz hospital was mistake: US commander

The deadly American air strike on a hospital in northern Afghan city of Kunduz that killed 22 people, including women and children, was a mistake, a top US commander in Afghanistan said as he conceded that they were taken by surprise by the recent Taliban upsurge.

General John Campbell, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, testified before a Senate committee that the investigation into the attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital will be "thorough, objective and transparent."

"A hospital was mistakenly struck. We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility," he said. "I must allow the investigation to take its course and, therefore, I'm not at liberty to discuss further specifics at this time. However, I assure you that the investigation will be thorough, objective and transparent," he said three days after the medical clinic strike. The MSF has branded the attack a war crime, and has pulled out of the Afghan city in the aftermath of the attack.

The US has launched an investigation into the October 3 incident. NATO and the Afghan Government too have launched their parallel investigations.

Campbell conceded that not only the Afghans but also the Americans were taken by surprise when the Taliban took control of Kunduz, which has been the scene of heavy fighting between the Taliban and Afghan authorities in recent days.