400 Killed, 250 Injured in Pakistan Attack on Kabul Hospital
At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, a spokesman for the Taliban government said on Tuesday, marking a sharp escalation in tensions with Pakistan.
Islamabad rejected the allegation as «false and misleading», stating that its forces had targeted military sites and what it described as terrorist support infrastructure during strikes carried out late on Monday.
The attack came hours after China reiterated its willingness to help ease tensions between the neighbouring states, urging both sides to avoid further escalation and return to talks.
Witnesses and damage scale
Witnesses described widespread destruction at the site. Parts of the facility were charred, while other structures were reduced to debris, with scattered bedding and personal belongings visible among the wreckage.
Emergency vehicles and security forces were deployed around the damaged complex, which signage identified as a large drug treatment hospital.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the strike hit the state-run Omid hospital at about 9 p.m. on Monday, describing it as a major rehabilitation centre.
«Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,» he said, adding that the death toll had reached 400, with up to 250 injured.
Rescue teams continued efforts to extinguish fires and recover victims. The reported casualty figures could not be independently verified
Pakistan’s response
Pakistan’s Information Ministry dismissed the claims as inaccurate, saying the strikes targeted militant facilities, including equipment and ammunition storage used by Taliban and allied groups. It insisted the operation was carefully conducted to avoid civilian harm and accused the Afghan side of misrepresenting the target.
The Omid hospital, established in 2016, has reportedly treated hundreds of patients and offered vocational training programmes aimed at rehabilitation.
Local media footage showed flames engulfing sections of the complex and thick smoke rising from the site, though the images have not been independently verified.
Pakistani airstrikes have hit a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, the Taliban has said.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 16, 2026
Taliban officials called the strikes a "crime against humanity". Pakistan rejected the claims, saying it was targeting "military installations". pic.twitter.com/3zeVTcK73z
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