'Cowardly': India condemns Pakistan's airstrike on Kabul hospital, killing 400
What's the story
India has strongly condemned Pakistan for its airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on Monday night, killing at least 400 people. India's External Affairs Ministry called the attack a "cowardly and unconscionable act of violence," adding that it cannot be justified under any circumstances as a military target. It said Pakistan was trying to "dress up a massacre as a military operation."
Sovereignty breach
Attack reflects Pakistan's persistent pattern of reckless behavior: India
India also termed the attack as a violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and a threat to regional peace and stability. The Official Spokesperson said it reflects Pakistan's persistent pattern of reckless behavior and its repeated attempts to externalize internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders. The timing of the attack during Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, was also criticized by India.
MEA
Wanton targeting by Pakistan must stop: India
"That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities...makes it all the more reprehensible. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital," it said. India further called on the international community to hold the "perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay."
Casualty claims
Afghanistan claims over 400 killed in the attack
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan's military of killing at least 400 people in the airstrike on Kabul's Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. The hospital, with a capacity of 2,000 beds, was severely damaged in the attack. Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban government, confirmed that around 250 others were also injured and rescue teams are working to control fires and recover bodies from the wreckage. All of the victims were civilians, he added.
Denial and defense
Pakistan denies targeting any hospital in Kabul
Pakistan has denied targeting any hospital in Kabul. The country's Ministry of Information said the strikes were aimed at military installations and terrorist support infrastructure used against innocent Pakistani civilians. They claimed that the targeting was "precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted." Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan's Taliban leadership of providing a safe haven for the Pakistan Taliban as well as Baloch separatist groups that regularly target Pakistani security personnel and civilians. Kabul disputes these allegations.