Kabul (Rajeev Sharma): Authorities in Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of carrying out an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in the capital, claiming the attack left hundreds dead and injured amid escalating tensions between the two neighbours.
Officials in Kabul said the strike occurred late Monday night and caused extensive destruction at the facility. According to Afghan deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, the death toll has risen to about 400, while nearly 250 people were reported wounded.
Fitrat said rescue workers were still trying to extinguish flames and retrieve bodies from the wreckage of the damaged building. He added that large portions of the hospital complex had been destroyed in the incident.
Earlier statements from Afghanistan’s health authorities had put the casualty figure at more than 200. Sharafat Zaman said during a media interview that the strike had devastated the treatment centre, which primarily served people undergoing rehabilitation for drug addiction.
The Afghan administration strongly criticised the alleged attack. Government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said the strike violated Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and claimed many of the victims were patients receiving medical care.
Pakistan, however, dismissed the accusations. Officials in Islamabad stated that the military had conducted operations targeting militant infrastructure rather than civilian facilities. According to Pakistan’s information ministry, the strikes were aimed at weapons depots and logistical hubs used by militant groups operating against Pakistani interests.
The developments come amid heightened hostilities along the border between the two countries. Afghan officials recently reported casualties in the eastern region of Khost Province following cross-border shelling.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has urged Afghanistan’s leadership to intensify efforts to combat terrorism while extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan for an additional three months.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have remained strained for years, largely due to Pakistan’s allegations that militant organisations such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan operate from Afghan territory. Afghanistan’s leadership has repeatedly denied those claims.
As conflicting narratives emerge over the latest incident, the reported strike and its heavy casualty toll risk further deepening the crisis between the two countries.
