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Afghan Forces Raid MSF Hospital In Kunduz


Afghan police check a damaged building after they took over control of the Char Darra district of Kunduz Province on July 1.
Afghan police check a damaged building after they took over control of the Char Darra district of Kunduz Province on July 1.

Afghan soldiers have raided a hospital run by medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the northern province of Kunduz.

MSF says the facility in Kunduz City was temporarily closed to new patients after armed members of the Afghan special forces entered and "behaved violently” toward staff on July 1.

"This incident demonstrates a serious lack of respect for the medical mission, which is safeguarded under international humanitarian law," the French group says.

The hospital is the only medical facility in the region that can deal with major injuries.

Kunduz special forces commander Abdullah said the troops were searching for an “Al-Qaeda member” being treated at the hospital.

It was unclear whether the raid succeeded in capturing the target.

Kunduz has become a key battleground, with Taliban militants overrunning two districts in the province and striking checkpoints close to the provincial capital over the past weeks.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
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