Pakistan (Commonwealth Union)_ An airstrike on a major drug treatment hospital in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, has left hundreds dead and injured in what officials are calling one of the worst tragedies in the country’s recent history. The Taliban-led government has accused Pakistan of carrying out the strike, a claim Islamabad has firmly denied. According to Afghan authorities, the strike took place around 9 pm local time, hitting a large 2,000-bed facility where thousands of patients were undergoing treatment. Officials say at least 400 people have been killed so far, with around 250 others injured. Rescue teams have been working through the night, trying to put out fires and recover bodies from the damaged building.
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If confirmed, the death toll would make this the deadliest attack in Afghanistan since the 2021 bombing at Kabul airport during the withdrawal of US forces, which killed more than 180 people, including Afghan civilians and American service members. Government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said large sections of the hospital were destroyed in the strike. He warned that the number of casualties could rise as search operations continue. Hospital officials, quoted in media reports, said the building was full at the time, raising fears that many victims may still be trapped under the rubble.
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Videos shared on social media showed chaotic scenes at the site. Emergency workers were seen carrying injured patients through debris in near darkness, using flashlights, while firefighters struggled to control flames still burning inside the structure. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid strongly condemned the attack, calling it a violation of basic human rights and international norms. He said the victims were all civilians, including patients receiving treatment, and described the incident as a “crime against humanity.”
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Pakistan, however, rejected the accusations. Officials in Islamabad said their military had carried out targeted operations against what they described as militant infrastructure, not civilian facilities. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dismissed claims of a hospital strike as baseless. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information stated that the strikes were aimed at locations used by armed groups operating against Pakistani civilians and security forces. It insisted the operation was carefully planned to avoid civilian harm and accused Afghan officials of spreading misinformation.
The incident comes amid rapidly rising tensions between the two neighboring countries. Cross-border clashes have intensified in recent weeks, with both sides blaming each other for attacks. Just hours before the hospital strike, Afghan officials reported exchanges of fire along the border that left at least four people dead. The conflict has been building since last month, following a series of retaliatory strikes. Earlier attempts to maintain a ceasefire, reportedly brokered by Qatar, have failed as violence continues to escalate.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring extremist organizations, particularly those that threaten Pakistani borders. Afghan officials deny the charges, claiming that they do not support cross-border militancy. Both sides have reported considerable losses in the current conflict, but the figures are challenged. As tensions escalate, global calls for moderation have had little impact, fueling concerns that the situation may spiral out of control.
