Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing 400 in attack on Kabul hospital

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have worsened after border tensions escalated last month, causing casualties and property damage. (Photo/Reuters)

The Afghan government has issued a grave accusation against Pakistan, claiming that a Pakistani airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul resulted in 400 fatalities and 250 injuries. Afghan officials, including Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, have condemned the action, describing it as a destruction of critical civilian medical infrastructure. In direct contradiction, the Pakistani government has categorically rejected these allegations. Islamabad maintains that its military operations were strictly limited to precision strikes on terrorist support infrastructure, specifically citing ammunition storage sites used by militant groups against Pakistani civilians. This incident marks a significant intensification of existing diplomatic and border tensions between the two nations.

Afghan government alleges 400 people were killed in a strike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation facility.
Pakistan denies the hospital attack, claiming instead that it precision-targeted terrorist ammunition storage sites.
Cross-border tensions have significantly deteriorated since late February, leading to over 100 deaths.
UN data corroborates an increase in civilian casualties, raising alarm over the regional conflict.

At least 400 people were killed in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation facility in Afghanistan's capital, an Afghan official said.

The Pakistani military "carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 p.m. (1630GMT) this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction," Afghan government Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on X.

He said that as a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed and "there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties."

Around 250 others have been reported injured, he said, adding that rescue teams are currently operating at the site.

Earlier, there were reports of air strikes in Kabul, and the Afghan government accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan's airspace and bombing the 2,000-bed Omid drug rehabilitation centre.

Islamabad rejected the claims.

Speaking to reporters from the site of the incident, Zaman said "(we) are searching for the injured and admitted patients."

'Fake claim'

His remarks came after Pakistan's Information Ministry rejected Kabul's accusation regarding the attack and said that Islamabad "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij in Kabul and Nangarhar (province) that were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians."

"The post-strike detonation of stored ammunition being used by the master terror proxy also fully contradicts the fake claim," it added.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned what he called "an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity."

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have worsened after border tensions escalated last month, causing casualties and property damage.

Since late February, cross-border clashes have killed 107 people on both sides, including 13 soldiers and five civilians in Pakistan, with one soldier still missing.

According to Kabul, 13 soldiers and 76 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan. The figure does not include fresh casualties claimed by Afghan authorities on Monday.

According to UN data, 185 civilian casualties, including 56 deaths from indirect fire and aerial attacks, were reported in Afghanistan between Feb. 26 and March 5.

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Source: TRT