Pakistan Air Strike in Kabul Hospital, 400 Feared Dead, Afghanistan Alleges Civilian Target Hit

Kabul: A major air strike in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has triggered serious tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides giving completely different accounts of what happened, as Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out the air strike on Kabul.

A spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government Hamdullah Fitrat, said in a post on X, “that at least 400 people were killed and around 250 injured after an air strike hit a large drug rehabilitation hospital at around 9 pm on Monday night. The facility, known as Omid Hospital, was reportedly a major centre with hundreds of beds, treating people struggling with addiction.”

He further added that “rescue teams were still working to recover bodies from the rubble.”

Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene. Ambulance driver Haji Fahim said, “When I arrived, everything was burning. People were burning. In the morning, they called me again saying bodies were still under the debris.”

However, Pakistan strongly denied these allegations. In an official statement, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said that the operation only targeted “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” and was carried out with precision.

“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage,” the statement said, calling the Afghan claims “misreporting of facts.”

According to Pakistan, the strikes were aimed at facilities linked to militants who were allegedly using Afghan territory to plan attacks against Pakistan.

The incident marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the two neighbouring countries, whose relations have worsened over the past month due to repeated cross-border strikes. Afghanistan has earlier accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty and targeting civilians, while Pakistan maintains that it is acting against militant threats.

The situation has raised international concern. The United Nations human rights official for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, expressed concern over reports of civilian casualties and urged both sides to avoid further escalation.

“I am dismayed by reports of air strikes and civilian deaths. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect international law, especially the protection of civilians,” he said.

Meanwhile, China has called on both countries to reduce tensions and return to dialogue.

Ground visuals from Kabul showed damaged buildings, smoke rising from the site, and emergency teams working amid the debris. However, the exact number of casualties could not be independently verified.

The conflict between the two countries is now being seen as one of the most serious in recent years, raising fears of further instability in the region

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