Pakistan airstrike hits Kabul rehab hospital, 400 dead
What's the story
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes on a Kabul rehabilitation hospital, killing at least 400 people and injuring 250, according to a Taliban spokesperson. Earlier, the Afghan Health Ministry's spokesperson, Sharafat Zaman, confirmed that more than 200 people were dead and said the facility was destroyed in the attack. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for Afghanistan's government, condemned the strike as a violation of Afghan territory and said most casualties were patients receiving treatment at the hospital.
Twitter Post
Taliban spokesperson's post on X
The Pakistani military regime carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 PM this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction. As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed,…
— Hamdullah Fitratحمدالله فطرت (@FitratHamd) March 16, 2026
Pakistan's response
Pakistan denies allegations, insists airstrikes targeted militant infrastructure
Pakistan has denied the allegations of hitting the 2,000-bed facility, insisting its airstrikes were aimed at militant infrastructure and not civilian sites. Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, dismissed claims of hitting a hospital in Kabul. The Pakistani Ministry of Information said the strikes "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure," including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage used by the Afghan Taliban and other militants.
Rising tensions
Tensions escalate along Afghanistan-Pakistan border
The alleged airstrike occurred on Monday at 9pm and comes amid escalating tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Local authorities in Khost Province reported four deaths, including two children, due to mortar shells fired from Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan reported a mortar strike from Afghanistan in Bajaur district that killed four members of a family. These incidents are among the deadliest clashes, now in the third week, between the two countries in recent years.
International response
UN urges Taliban to step up counter-terrorism efforts
The United Nations Security Council has urged Afghanistan's Taliban-led government to enhance its counter-terrorism efforts. A resolution was passed unanimously, condemning terrorist activities and extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan for three months. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militant groups that conduct attacks inside Pakistan, a claim Kabul denies.
Afghan response
Afghan government concerned over civilian casualties in recent attacks
Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi has expressed concern over civilian casualties in recent Pakistani attacks. He said the war had been imposed on Afghanistan, and Afghan officials emphasized that defending the country's sovereignty is a collective responsibility. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has also condemned the Kabul hospital attack carried out by Pakistani air forces, warning Pakistan that continuing these attacks will also lead to a worsening of the situation to the detriment of their own country.