New Delhi: Afghanistan on Tuesday accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, claiming that more than 400 people were killed in the attack. Pakistan rejected the allegation and said its strikes targeted only military and “terrorist” locations.
According to AP, Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a television interview that the hospital was completely destroyed. Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the death toll has reached 400, with around 250 people injured.
BREAKING: Afghanistan’s Health Ministry reports that at least 200 people were killed and hundreds of others injured after Pakistani airstrikes targeted a drug‑rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/EEOrSfrFom
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Explosions rock Kabul
Loud explosions were reported in Kabul around 9:00 p.m. local time. Witnesses saw smoke rising from the Shahr-e-Naw and Wazir Akbar Khan areas. Local television visuals showed firefighters trying to control flames from the damaged building.
Taliban Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X that the Pakistani military had “once again violated Afghan territory,” calling the strikes “a crime” and an “act of inhumanity.” He said most victims were addicts receiving treatment at the hospital.
Pakistan denies targeting civilians
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said the strikes “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban” and Afghanistan-based militants in Kabul and Nangarhar.
The ministry said the sites “were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians.” It added that the operation was “precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted.” Pakistan also described Mujahid’s statement as “false and misleading” and accused Kabul of trying to hide what it called “illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism.”
Rising tensions and border clashes
Pakistan has carried out several strikes in Afghanistan in recent weeks amid rising tensions. Islamabad has accused the Taliban government of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Officials have described the situation as an “open war.”
President Asif Ali Zardari said Afghanistan crossed a “red line” by deploying drones that injured civilians in Pakistan. In response, Pakistan said it targeted equipment and infrastructure in Kandahar used for attacks.
Afghanistan, however, claimed that Pakistan struck civilian sites, including a drug rehabilitation centre that suffered minor damage earlier. In Kabul, administrative deputy prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi said protecting sovereignty is the duty of citizens. He also expressed regret over civilian deaths and said the conflict was forced on Afghanistan.