Taliban Accuses Pakistan of Airstrike on Kabul Hospital
At least 400 people were killed and around 250 others injured after an alleged Pakistani airstrike struck a hospital in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, according to Taliban officials. The strike reportedly targeted a drug rehabilitation hospital late Monday night, causing massive destruction and triggering strong condemnation from Afghan authorities.The Taliban administration said the attack took place at approximately 9 pm local time and hit a large drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul that housed thousands of patients undergoing treatment. Officials said the hospital had a capacity of around 2,000 beds and that a significant portion of the building was destroyed in the strike, leaving hundreds of casualties among patients and medical staff.The Taliban government described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks on a civilian facility in recent years. Authorities claimed that the majority of the victims were individuals receiving treatment for drug addiction. Rescue teams and medical personnel were deployed to the site soon after the strike, attempting to recover survivors from the rubble and provide emergency care to the injured.Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned the incident and accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. In a statement posted on social media, he alleged that the Pakistani military had violated Afghanistan’s airspace and attacked a hospital where vulnerable patients were undergoing treatment. He described the strike as a serious crime and said such actions violated international humanitarian principles.Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat also confirmed the details of the incident, stating that the strike caused widespread damage to the hospital complex. According to officials, several wards of the hospital were destroyed, trapping patients inside and significantly increasing the death toll.
Pakistan Denies Targeting Hospital, Says Strike Hit Military Infrastructure
Pakistan has rejected Afghanistan’s allegations, calling the claims “baseless” and insisting that its military did not target any hospital or civilian facility in Kabul. Pakistani authorities said the airstrikes were part of a military operation aimed at destroying infrastructure allegedly used by militant groups.According to Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the Pakistani military carried out “precision airstrikes” targeting military installations in Kabul and in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar. He said that the operation focused on destroying technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities believed to be used by armed groups.Pakistani officials maintained that the strikes were conducted carefully and only targeted specific locations linked to militant activity. They rejected claims that civilian infrastructure such as hospitals had been deliberately attacked. The Pakistani government insisted that the operation was aimed at preventing attacks by groups it accuses of operating from Afghan territory.This conflicting narrative has intensified tensions between the two neighboring countries, each accusing the other of escalating violence along their shared border. The dispute over the hospital strike has further strained diplomatic relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
Border Clashes Escalate as Pakistan–Afghanistan Conflict Intensifies
The alleged airstrike occurred amid escalating military tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan that have intensified in recent weeks. The two countries have been exchanging fire along their shared border, raising fears of a wider conflict in the region.Afghan officials said that earlier clashes along the border resulted in the deaths of at least four people in Afghanistan. The fighting reportedly began in late February when Afghan forces launched cross-border attacks in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes that Kabul claimed had killed civilians.The conflict has now entered its third week, marking one of the most serious military confrontations between the two countries in recent years. The renewed violence has also disrupted a ceasefire that had been brokered by Qatar in October of the previous year. That agreement had temporarily halted hostilities after earlier fighting killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants on both sides.Despite the ceasefire, tensions remained high along the border as both governments accused each other of harboring militant groups responsible for attacks across the frontier. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that militant groups operating from Afghan territory pose a security threat, while Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of violating their sovereignty through cross-border strikes.The situation escalated further after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that the country was now in “open war” with Afghanistan. His remarks underscored the seriousness of the ongoing conflict and raised concerns among international observers about the possibility of further escalation.The alleged airstrike on the Kabul hospital has added another layer of tension to an already volatile situation. If confirmed, the incident could significantly worsen relations between the two countries and draw international attention to the growing instability along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.As rescue operations continue in Kabul and investigations into the incident proceed, the humanitarian impact of the strike remains severe. Hundreds of families have been affected, and the destruction of a major medical facility has raised concerns about the ability of local authorities to provide care for the wounded and other patients in the coming days.The international community is expected to closely monitor the developments as both countries exchange accusations and the risk of further military confrontation remains high.
