Deputy spokesperson of the Afghanistan government, Hamdullah Fitrat, on Tuesday said that at least 400 individuals were killed and around 250 others have been injured after a Pakistani airstrike at a treatment centre for drug addiction in Kabul.
Hamdullah Fitrat, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said that Pakistan carried out the airstrike at around 9 pm on Monday and added that in the attack, large sections of the hospital were destroyed.
“The Pakistani military regime carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 PM this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction. As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties,” the post read.
The Deputy Spokesperson also said that rescue teams were working on the scene to control the fire.
“Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured. Rescue teams are currently at the scene working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims,” the Spokesperson added.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the Afghanistan government, in a post on X, said, “The Pakistani military regime has once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace and targeted a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, resulting in the death and injury of addicts who were undergoing treatment.”
“We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity,” the post continued.
Pakistan reacts to allegations
On the other hand, Pakistan has reportedly denied the allegations of an airstrike on a hospital. According to The Washington Post, Islamabad refuted the claims, saying that in the strikes, which were also conducted in eastern Afghanistan, no civilian sites were hit.
Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions
IANS reported, citing Khaama Press, that the strike has been described by officials as one of the deadliest attacks in Kabul in recent years.
Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, expressed concern over the reported civilian casualties and urged restraint between Kabul and Islamabad. Former Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law and urging that disputes be resolved through dialogue.
