Taliban officials say a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul has killed 400 people and injured about 250, in one of the deadliest attacks reported in the Afghan capital in recent weeks. The deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, Hamdullah Fitrat, said the strike hit the 2,000‑bed Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital at around 9 p.m., causing extensive destruction and large fires that rescue teams were still battling while recovering bodies from the rubble.
Fitrat told reporters that large sections of the hospital were destroyed and that the casualty toll could rise as search-and-rescue teams continued operations. He described the facility as dedicated to treating people with drug addiction and warned of further loss of life as workers combed through the damaged structure.
The reports have sharply escalated tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, with the Taliban-led government accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. Separate local reports said the strike was part of a broader series of bombardments across Kabul, with several explosions and fires reported in different neighbourhoods and videos circulating on social media showing powerful blasts that shook nearby areas.
International observers and rights groups reacted with alarm. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said he was “deeply troubled” by the reports and urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect international law, including the protection of hospitals and other civilian facilities. The International Human Rights Foundation condemned the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law and called for an independent international investigation and accountability.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking to Tolo News, warned that diplomatic engagement with Pakistan had reached its limit and said the attack would not go unanswered. Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan also condemned the strikes on X, saying attacks on homes, schools and medical facilities amount to war crimes and calling on the United Nations and human rights organisations to investigate and support affected civilians.
Local media outlet Khaama Press reported that Pakistani aircraft also targeted a Taliban military facility in Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late on Monday, and said the strikes followed Taliban drone attacks inside Pakistan. Khaama Press quoted Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari as saying the Afghan Taliban had crossed a “red line” after alleged drone strikes on civilian areas in Pakistan.
Clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban elements have intensified in recent weeks, with civilians on both sides of the border increasingly affected, and Khaama Press reported that China had tried to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul-an offer Pakistan reportedly rejected. The strikes underscore a rapidly worsening relationship between the two neighbours, as both sides accuse each other of supporting cross‑border attacks and destabilising the region, and raise urgent calls for independent inquiry and stronger measures to protect civilians.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/world/pakistan-air-strike-on-kabul-rehab-hospital-kills-400-taliban-say.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-17 09:52:00
