MSF: US tank forced its way into bombed Afghan hospital

U.S. soldiers walk into the charred remains of the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. The attack, which killed a number of hospital staff and patients, was intended to back up Afghan forces fighting to dislodge Taliban insurgents who overran the strategic city earlier in the month. (Najim Rahim via AP) U.S. soldiers walk into the charred remains of the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. The attack, which killed a number of hospital staff and patients, was intended to back up Afghan forces fighting to dislodge Taliban insurgents who overran the strategic city earlier in the month. (Najim Rahim via AP)

By Associated Press October 15, 2015 2 min read

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A medical charity whose hospital in northern Afghanistan was bombed by the U.S. military said on Thursday that a U.S. tank forced its way through the closed gates of the compound, contravening an agreement that they would be informed.

Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said they were informed after the “intrusion” that it was by a delegation from a joint U.S.-NATO-Afghan team investigating the Oct. 3 bombing of the hospital.

The incident violated an agreement with investigators that MSF “would be given notice before each step of the procedure involving the organization’s personnel and assets.”

“Their unannounced and forced entry damaged property, destroyed potential evidence and caused stress and fear,” it said in a statement, adding that an MSF team had arrived at the hospital earlier in the day.

Authorities in Kunduz and the U.S. military did immediately respond to requests for comment.