U.S. military personnel involved in the bombing of a charity hospital in Afghanistan in October that killed 42 people have been disciplined but none face criminal charges, defense officials said.
The punishments, which have not been publicly announced, are largely administrative, The Associated Press reported.
In some cases, the disciplinary actions, such as letters of reprimand, are severe enough to effectively end the soldiers’ chances of further promotion.
More than 12 people — including both officers and enlisted personnel — were punished, but officials said none are generals.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AP the disciplinary process is nearly complete and stems from a Pentagon investigation of the attack. The results of that investigation are expected to be made public in the coming days.
Sandra Murillo, a spokeswoman for Doctors Without Borders, said the charity would not comment on disciplinary actions until the Pentagon communicates its decisions directly to the group or makes a public announcement.
An Air Force gunship attacked the Doctors Without Borders facility in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, on Oct. 3 during operations to take back the city from Taliban insurgents.
Army Gen. John F. Campbell labeled the incident a “tragic mistake” in November following an internal U.S. investigation, which claimed American forces had meant to target a different building that served as a stronghold for the Taliban but were led astray by an error in the aircraft’s mapping system.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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