Afghanistan on Tuesday alleged that Pakistan had conducted an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, claiming that the attack left at least 400 people dead and many others injured amid escalating cross-border tensions.
Rejecting the accusation, Pakistan said its military operation was limited to what it described as “military targets and terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and Nangarhar province on Monday.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson of the Taliban-led administration, stated that the strike hit the Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul at around 9 pm local time. The development reportedly followed hours after both countries exchanged fire along their border, with Afghan authorities saying four people were killed. The clashes were said to mark a continuation of the most intense hostilities between the two sides in recent years, now stretching into a third week, Scroll.in reported.
Fitrat claimed that the hospital, which can accommodate around 2,000 patients, was housing thousands at the time of the incident. He added that large parts of the facility were destroyed and approximately 250 people were injured.
Footage broadcast by local media reportedly showed firefighters working to contain the blaze while rescue teams carried the wounded out of the damaged structure.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid criticised the attack, calling it a violation of established norms and describing it as a crime against humanity.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reiterated that its actions were directed only at sites allegedly being used against Pakistani civilians. It also accused Afghanistan of presenting misleading information to shape public perception and to cover up what it claimed was support for cross-border militancy.
Ties between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have reportedly worsened in recent months, particularly after border clashes in October that resulted in more than 70 deaths on both sides. Since then, their shared border has remained largely shut.
Pakistan has continued to accuse the Afghan Taliban of failing to act against militant groups operating from its territory, while the Taliban has consistently denied these allegations.
Efforts to de-escalate tensions through multiple rounds of talks, reportedly facilitated by Qatar after an initial ceasefire, have so far failed to produce a lasting solution.