17.03.2026 05:20
The Afghan government announced that 400 people were killed and around 250 were injured in an airstrike on a hospital treating drug addicts in Kabul; Pakistan, on the other hand, denied the claims that the hospital was hit, stating that the attack was aimed at military targets.
The Afghan government announced that 400 people lost their lives in an attack on a hospital in the capital, Kabul. Officials reported that the attack occurred on Monday evening and that many others were injured.
DRUG ADDICTS WERE BEING TREATED
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, stated in a post on the social media platform X that the airstrike targeted a hospital where drug addicts were being treated at around 9:00 PM local time. Fitrat announced that the attack destroyed a large part of the 2,000-bed capacity hospital and that 400 deaths had been confirmed so far.
Officials reported that approximately 250 people were also injured in the attack and that rescue teams were continuing their efforts to extract those trapped under the rubble. Footage shared by local television channels showed security forces using flashlights to rescue the injured from the debris, while fire crews were seen trying to extinguish the fire that broke out in the collapsed building.
STRONG REACTION FROM AFGHANISTAN
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attack in strong terms, claiming that the incident targeted civilians. Mujahid stated that those who lost their lives and were injured were individuals receiving treatment at the hospital.
PAKISTAN: WE TARGETED MILITARY FACILITIES
Pakistan denied the allegations. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, stated that the accusations of Pakistan targeting a hospital in Kabul do not reflect the truth. The Pakistani Ministry of Information also announced that the attacks were aimed at military facilities and militant infrastructure.
PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN CONFLICT
On February 22, Pakistan targeted seven locations along the border with Afghanistan, which it described as "terror camps," in response to recent bomb attacks claimed to have been carried out by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in the country.
The Afghan government also conducted attacks on military facilities belonging to Islamabad along the border on February 26. In retaliation for these attacks, Pakistan began striking certain targets in Kabul and the border region.
Pakistan and Afghanistan experienced similar tensions in October 2025, and the parties met in Istanbul in November 2025 to discuss the details of a ceasefire, but the negotiations ended without results and were suspended.
Islamabad claims that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has established itself in Afghanistan and organizes its attacks from there, while the Afghan government denies these allegations.