Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out an airstrike on the Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, killing at least 400 people and injuring around 250 others, in one of the deadliest incidents amid rising cross-border tensions.
The attack, which occurred at approximately 9 p.m. local time (16:30 GMT) on Monday, reportedly destroyed large portions of the 2,000-bed facility, according to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Footage from local media showed firefighters struggling to control flames and recover victims from the ruins.
Security personnel at the hospital said jets had been patrolling above the city prior to the bombing. “There were military units all around us. When these military units fired on the jet, the jet dropped bombs and a fire broke out,” said Omid Stanikzai, a hospital security guard. All casualties were civilians, he added.
Afghanistan’s government condemned the strike as a “crime against humanity,” highlighting that it followed days of intensified fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which has already claimed lives and displaced civilians. Zabihullah Mujahid, an Afghan government spokesman, accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s airspace and targeting a civilian facility.
Pakistan, however, rejected the claims, insisting that the operation targeted only military installations and infrastructure used by Afghan Taliban fighters and other armed groups. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, emphasized that the strikes were conducted “precisely” to avoid civilian casualties and dismissed the hospital allegations as false.
The incident comes amid ongoing conflict that erupted last month when Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan, claiming to target armed groups operating against Pakistani interests. Afghanistan has responded with attacks along the border, and both sides report casualties in the hundreds, including soldiers and militants.
International mediation efforts, including by China and Gulf nations, have so far failed to halt the fighting. Experts warn that the cycle of retaliatory strikes shows little sign of ending, with potential for escalation through drone attacks and asymmetric operations.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to rise. The World Food Programme announced plans to provide emergency food assistance to over 20,000 displaced Afghan families affected by the conflict.
The hospital strike has further inflamed regional tensions, drawing international concern over civilian protection and the need for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader escalation.
