Afghan Officials Claim Over 400 Dead in Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul Hospital
News Summary
- Afghan officials claim that more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug treatment hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
- Pakistan denies targeting the hospital, stating it struck military installations and ammunition depots instead.
- The United Nations Security Council has urged the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan to intensify efforts against terrorism.
Kathmandu – Afghan officials reported that Pakistani airstrikes on a hospital dedicated to drug users in Kabul have resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people. However, Pakistan denies any attack on the hospital.
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Afghan government, announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that at around 9 pm, Pakistan targeted the Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility, causing significant destruction. According to him, the attack so far has caused at least 400 deaths and approximately 250 injuries. Rescue teams are actively working to extinguish fires and recover bodies from the debris.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned the attack on the hospital and other civilian structures, labeling it a crime against humanity.
Pakistan’s Denial
Pakistan denies the allegations of striking the hospital. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stated that no hospital in Kabul was targeted. According to reports by Al Jazeera, Pakistan described the Afghan government’s accusations as “false and attempts to spread misinformation.”
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, the airstrikes carried out on Monday targeted military installations, technical equipment, and ammunition depots in various locations in Kabul and Nangarhar province. The ministry asserted that the strikes were conducted with extreme caution and caused no damage to civilian sites.
CNN reports that local television footage shows security personnel using flashlights to evacuate the injured and deceased, while firefighters work to extinguish fires in the rubble.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has called on the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan to immediately intensify their efforts against terrorism. The council unanimously condemned ongoing terrorist activities.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring extremist groups including the Pakistani Taliban, accusations that Kabul denies.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated since the end of February, with cross-border clashes continuing following Pakistani airstrikes near the Afghan border. Pakistan has described its relationship with Afghanistan as being in a state of ‘open warfare.’
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