Afghanistan Reports 400 Killed in Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Hospital
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of conducting a devastating airstrike on a state-run hospital in Kabul, with officials reporting a death toll of 400 people, predominantly patients undergoing treatment for drug addiction. The attack, which occurred on Monday night, has intensified the already severe conflict between the neighboring nations.
Conflicting Accounts of the Attack
Hamdullah Fitrat, Afghanistan's deputy government spokesperson, stated that approximately 400 individuals were killed "so far" in the strike, with around 250 others injured. He emphasized that most casualties were patients at the Omid hospital, a facility dedicated to treating drug users.
In stark contrast, Pakistan's government has categorically rejected these allegations, labeling them as false and misleading. A statement from Pakistan's ministry of information asserted that the strikes "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure," including technical equipment and ammunition storage used by Afghan Taliban and Pakistan-based militants operating from Kabul. They accused Afghan reports of misrepresenting the facts to stir sentiments and cover illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism.
Scene of Destruction and Survivor Accounts
Witnesses described a scene of utter devastation following the attack. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Taliban's health ministry, reported that about 3,000 patients were inside the Omid hospital at the time. Local television footage showed firefighters battling intense flames amid the ruins of the building.
Ahmad, a 50-year-old security guard at the hospital, recounted, "The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday." He was the sole survivor from a staff dormitory housing 25 people. Omid Stanikzai, another security guard, described the assault beginning with anti-aircraft gunfire, followed by bombs dropped by a jet, igniting a massive fire.
Patients provided harrowing testimonies of the chaos. Yousaf Rahim, a patient injured in the leg and thigh, said, "It was a horrific scene. Patients fell from their beds, screaming and running as fire and smoke filled the wards and rooms. Thick smoke and dust spread throughout the hospital. Many people lay on the ground. Dozens died instantly, and the critically injured were pleading for help."
Rescue Efforts and International Response
By Tuesday morning, only blackened walls and debris remained as rescue teams searched for survivors. Ambulance driver Haji Fahim arrived to find "everything was burning, people were burning," and was later called back to retrieve more bodies from the rubble.
Dejan Panic, Afghan director of the Italian NGO Emergency, confirmed receiving three bodies and treating 27 wounded individuals. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, expressed dismay at reports of civilian casualties and urged all parties to de-escalate, exercise restraint, and respect international law, including the protection of hospitals.
Escalating Regional Conflict
This incident marks the third time Pakistan has targeted Kabul with missile strikes in recent weeks, amid what Islamabad describes as an "open war" with Afghanistan. The conflict, which began in late February after Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes, has displaced over 20,000 people and disrupted a Qatar-brokered ceasefire from October.
Tensions stem from allegations that the Afghan Taliban provides safe haven to radical militants, particularly the Pakistan Taliban, responsible for deadly attacks in Pakistan. Afghanistan's Taliban government denies involvement in cross-border terrorism. China has attempted mediation, sending a special envoy last week, but efforts have so far failed to ease hostilities.
Fighting continues along the border, with Afghan officials reporting four killed, including two children, and ten wounded in southeastern Afghanistan on Monday. Pakistan also reported a mortar attack from Afghanistan on Sunday that killed four family members in Bajaur district.
