Kabul strike reports claim up to 400 dead, Taliban blames Pakistan

Kabul: The death toll from an airstrike carried out by Pakistan in Kabul—the capital of Afghanistan—late Monday night has risen to 400. On Tuesday morning, Hamdullah Fitrat, a deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, confirmed that Pakistan had launched an airstrike on a hospital in Kabul dedicated to treating drug addicts. So far, 400 deaths have been confirmed in the incident. Rescue operations to extract people from the hospital's rubble are currently underway.

Hamdullah Fitrat reported that a large section of the hospital building was destroyed in the attack, which took place on Monday night. He stated that the death toll currently stands at 400, while reports indicate that another 250 people have been injured. Rescue teams are working to bring the fire raging within the building under control and to recover the bodies of the victims.

Pakistan Denies Attacking Hospital

Pakistan has denied targeting any hospital. A statement issued by Pakistan asserted that no civilian sites were damaged during the strikes conducted in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan on Monday. Pakistan maintained that its targets were exclusively terrorist groups.

This airstrike was launched following intense cross-border firing between the two sides on Monday. The Taliban—currently in power in Afghanistan—declared that this constitutes a violation of their country's sovereignty and borders, vowing to retaliate. The deadly conflict unfolding between the two neighboring nations has now entered its third week.

Taliban Expresses Strong Outrage

Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Health, stated that a significant portion of the drug rehabilitation hospital has been completely destroyed. Hours after the attack, firefighters are still attempting to extinguish the fires burning amidst the rubble of the building. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has stated that the attack on patients in the hospital constitutes an act of barbarism.

Pakistan's Ministry of Information has stated that these attacks precisely targeted military bases and terrorist support infrastructure, including the Afghan Taliban's technical equipment and ammunition depots. Additionally, Afghan-based Pakistani terrorists present in Kabul and Nangarhar were also targeted.

The Government of Pakistan has asserted that the operation was executed with extreme caution to ensure that no collateral damage occurred. The statement further noted that Afghanistan's claim regarding an attack on a hospital was false and misleading; its objective was to inflame public sentiments and obscure the truth.