Afghan Forces Bomb Hospital in Helmand Provincial Capital

 

Defense Ministry believed wounded Taliban were being treated there

by Jason Ditz 

Posted onAugust 1, 2021CategoriesNewsTagsAfghanistan

The Afghan Air Force attacked a private hospital in Helmand Province on Saturday, killing one and wounding three. This was not a mistaken attack, according to those familiar with the situation, who say the Defense Ministry ordered the attack based on false allegations that Taliban were being treated there.

The hospital’s owner says there were no Taliban at the small Lashkar Gah hospital. The Defense Ministry has so far declined media requests for comment on the attack.

This has been an ongoing problem, both with the Afghan Air Force causing civilian casualties and with the Afghan military believing it is appropriate to attack medical facilities if they offer treatment to the other side.

The Afghans reported they’d pushed the Taliban out of Lashkar Gah later in the day at any rate, meaning it’s unclear why they felt the need to attack a hospital based on what was clearly uncertain intelligence.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/08/01/afghan-reinforcements-scramble-as-taliban-contests-major-cities/