Tehran, Oct 4, IRNA � Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham strongly condemned the Saturday's US airstrikes on a hospital in Afghanistan's Kunduz province which resulted in death and injury of tens of innocent civilians, including women and children.

A Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz was bombed early on Saturday, leading to the death of at least three people, with dozens missing, the international aid agency said in a statement.
There were around 200 people in the hospital building when it was bombed, according to MSF.

'This attack is irresponsible and unjustifiable,' Afkham said condemning the US-led coalition attack on the Kunduz hospital.

'Ignoring the basic rights of the oppressed people of Afghanistan who do not also consider their treatment centers as safe are among the interfering approaches of the US and the coalition,' the foreign ministry spokeswoman added.

Reiterating on the importance of restoration of tranquility and security in the neighboring Afghanistan for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afkham went on to say, 'We hope that the international bodies will seriously and resolutely fulfill their duties and take the necessary measures in order to prevent recurrence of such incidents (in the future).'

NATO does not rule out the possibility that a hospital of Doctors Without Borders in Afghan city of Kunduz was bombed by US air forces.

NATO said in a statement that US forces conducted an airstrike in Kunduz at around the same time � just after 02:00 am on Saturday.

The medical team is working around the clock to do everything possible for the safety of patients and hospital staff.

'We are deeply shocked by the attack, the killing of our staff and patients and the heavy toll it has inflicted on healthcare in Kunduz,' Bart Janssens, MSF Director of Operations commented on the bombing.

'We do not yet have the final casualty figures, but our medical team are providing first aid and treating the injured patients and MSF personnel and accounting for the deceased. We urge all parties to respect the safety of health facilities and staff.'

According to MSF, at the time of the aerial attack 105 patients and their caretakers were in the hospital and over 80 MSF international and national staff.

MSF's hospital is the only facility of its kind in the Northeast of Afghanistan, providing free life- and limb-saving trauma care.

Kunduz, a city of 300,000 in Northern Afghanistan, was recaptured by Afghan government forces on Thursday. The city was surrounded by the Taliban militants in May, but they recaptured it on Monday.

By IRNA