Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out a devastating airstrike on a hospital for drug users in Kabul late Monday, claiming the attack killed at least 400 people and injured hundreds more, marking a sharp escalation in an already volatile cross-border conflict.
According to Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, the strike hit a 2,000-bed hospital at around 9 p.m. local time, destroying large sections of the facility. He said the death toll had reached at least 400, with approximately 250 others reported injured as emergency teams worked through the night to contain fires and recover bodies from the rubble.
Footage circulating on social media showed rescue workers and security personnel using flashlights to carry victims from the scene while firefighters battled flames engulfing the damaged structure. Afghan officials insist the victims were civilians receiving treatment at the hospital.
Pakistan has strongly denied the allegations, rejecting claims that any civilian infrastructure was targeted. Officials in Islamabad stated that the airstrikes were aimed at militant positions and “terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan, including Nangarhar province. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information maintained that the operations were conducted with precision to avoid civilian casualties and described Afghanistan’s claims as “false and misleading.”
The incident came just hours after reports of renewed border clashes between the two countries, which left at least four people dead in Afghanistan. The fighting, now entering its third week, is the most intense between the neighboring nations in years.
Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the alleged strike, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian sites and calling the attack a “crime against humanity.” He warned that such actions violate international norms and escalate tensions further.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has called on Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to intensify efforts to combat terrorism, amid ongoing accusations from Pakistan that Kabul is harboring militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban. Afghanistan has repeatedly denied these claims.
The conflict, which reignited in late February following a series of retaliatory strikes, has disrupted a ceasefire brokered by Qatar last year. Both sides have reported heavy casualties, though figures remain disputed. Pakistan claims to have killed hundreds of Afghan Taliban fighters, while Afghan officials say they have inflicted significant losses on Pakistani forces.
Tensions have been further fueled by accusations from Pakistan that Afghanistan crossed a “red line” by deploying drones that injured civilians داخل Pakistan, prompting retaliatory airstrikes targeting what Islamabad described as militant infrastructure in southern Afghanistan.
The escalating violence has raised alarm internationally, particularly given the region’s history as a base for extremist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State. With both sides hardening their positions and ceasefire efforts faltering, fears are growing that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional crisis.
