In a devastating development, an alleged airstrike has struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, leaving at least 400 people dead and more than 250 injured, according to Afghan officials. The incident, which occurred late Monday night, has intensified already rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said the airstrike caused massive destruction, with large portions of the hospital reduced to rubble. Rescue teams have been working continuously to control the fire and recover bodies from the debris. Many of those killed were reportedly patients undergoing treatment for drug addiction, making the tragedy even more severe.
Visuals from the scene showed thick smoke rising from the damaged structure, while emergency responders struggled to contain the flames. Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman stated that the facility had been almost completely destroyed, leaving little hope for those trapped inside during the strike.
The Afghan government has directly accused Pakistan of carrying out the attack, calling it a violation of its sovereignty and an assault on civilians. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the incident, claiming that most of the victims were innocent patients and staff.
Pakistan, however, has strongly denied targeting any hospital or civilian infrastructure. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dismissed the allegations as baseless. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said its military operations were aimed at militant infrastructure and terrorist hideouts, insisting that the strikes were carried out with precision to avoid civilian casualties.
The airstrike came just hours after renewed cross-border clashes between the two countries. Afghan officials reported that mortar shelling from Pakistan had killed civilians, including children, in border regions. At the same time, Pakistan claimed that attacks originating from Afghan territory had caused civilian casualties on its side.
The situation has further escalated into a war of words, with both sides accusing each other of supporting militant groups. Pakistan has long alleged that Afghanistan shelters groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, while Kabul continues to deny these claims.
Amid the growing conflict, the United Nations Security Council has called for stronger efforts to combat terrorism in the region. The latest violence, however, threatens to derail any hopes of stability and raises fears of a prolonged confrontation.
The current tensions trace back to late February, when cross-border attacks reignited hostilities despite earlier ceasefire efforts. Since then, both countries have exchanged heavy fire and conflicting claims about casualties.
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Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has said that defending the country’s sovereignty is now a responsibility for all citizens, reflecting the hardened stance being adopted by Kabul.
As rescue operations continue in Kabul and the death toll remains high, the incident stands as one of the deadliest in recent times. While both sides continue to deny responsibility and shift blame, the human cost of the conflict is becoming increasingly evident, with innocent lives caught in the crossfire.