Afghanistan says Pakistan strike on Kabul facility kills 400; Islamabad denies targeting hospital

2026-03-17 - 12:40

KABUL — At least 400 people were killed in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation facility in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, Afghan officials said Tuesday, as Islamabad denied targeting civilian infrastructure.Afghan government Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the Pakistani military carried out an airstrike at around 9:00 p.m. Monday on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to treating drug addiction.He said large sections of the hospital were destroyed and warned of a high number of casualties, with around 250 others reported injured. Rescue teams were continuing operations at the site.The Afghan government accused Pakistan of violating its airspace and bombing the rehabilitation center.Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected the accusation, saying its forces had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure,” including equipment and ammunition storage sites used by the Afghan Taliban and what it described as “Fitna al-Khawarij.”The ministry added that post-strike explosions from stored ammunition contradicted claims that a hospital had been targeted.Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strike, calling it “a crime against humanity” and a violation of international norms.The incident comes amid worsening relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan following escalating border tensions in recent weeks.Since late February, cross-border clashes have killed at least 107 people on both sides, including 13 soldiers and five civilians in Pakistan, with one soldier still missing.Afghan authorities say 13 soldiers and 76 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan, excluding the latest casualties reported in Kabul.According to United Nations data, 185 civilian casualties, including 56 deaths, were recorded in Afghanistan between Feb. 26 and March 5 due to indirect fire and aerial attacks.