WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. commander in Afghanistan says some of those most closely involved in the mistaken air attack on a hospital in Kunduz have been suspended from their duties.
Gen. John Campbell isn’t giving names or saying how many people have been temporarily removed from their jobs.
He said at a news conference Wednesday in the Afghanistan capital that those individuals will be subject to investigation under the military justice or administrative discipline systems.
Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner says some military personnel involved in the airstrike violated U.S. rules of engagement, but he’s not being more specific.
An investigative report on the U.S. air attack that killed more than two dozen civilians says the crew of the attacking plane misidentified the target, believing it to be a government compound taken over by the Taliban.
The report says the crew of the U.S. AC-130 gunship relied on a physical description of the compound provided by Afghan forces, which led the crew to attack the wrong target. The plane fired 211 shells at the compound before commanders realized the mistake and ordered a halt.
