Afghanistan Alleges Deadly Pakistan Strike on Kabul Hospital, 400 Killed

Afghanistan accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people in an airstrike late Monday on a drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul — a dramatic escalation in the cross-border conflict that began late last month and has involved repeated clashes and airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat posted on X that the strike hit the 2,000-bed facility around 9:00 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m. ET), destroying large sections. He said the death toll had reached “so far” 400, with about 250 injured. Local television footage showed security forces using flashlights to carry casualties while firefighters battled flames in the ruins.

Pakistan rejected the allegation that it targeted a hospital, insisting its strikes — which also hit sites in eastern Afghanistan — focused only on military installations and caused no civilian casualties.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X early Tuesday that the Pakistani military carried out “precision airstrikes” targeting military infrastructure in Kabul and Nangarhar province, destroying technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities. He wrote: “All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies.”

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information earlier called Mujahid’s claim “false and misleading,” aimed at stirring sentiment and covering “illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism.” It described the targeting as “precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage.”

The strike came hours after Afghan officials reported cross-border fire that killed four people in Afghanistan, as the deadliest fighting between the neighbors in years entered its third week.

UN Security Council Urges Action Against Terrorism

On Sunday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to immediately step up efforts to combat terrorism. While not specifically mentioning attacks in Pakistan, it condemned “in the strongest terms all terrorist activity including terrorist attacks” and extended the UN political mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for three months.

Pakistan accuses Kabul of providing safe haven to the Pakistani Taliban (designated a terrorist group by the U.S.), Baloch separatist groups, and other militants targeting Pakistani forces and civilians. Kabul denies the charges.

Pakistan has declared it is in “open war” with Afghanistan. The conflict has alarmed the international community, especially given the presence of al-Qaida and ISIS in the region.

On Sunday, Tarar claimed Pakistan’s military killed 684 Afghan Taliban forces — a figure rejected by Afghanistan, which says casualties are far lower. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry claims more than 100 Pakistani soldiers have been killed.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Afghanistan’s Taliban crossed a “red line” by deploying drones that injured civilians in Pakistan last week. In response, Pakistan’s air force struck equipment storage sites and technical support infrastructure in Kandahar province over the weekend. Kabul said the strikes hit an empty security site and a drug rehabilitation center that sustained minor damage.

Afghanistan’s administrative Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi said defending sovereignty is the duty of all citizens. Speaking during a meeting with political analysts and media figures, Hanafi expressed regret over civilian casualties in recent Pakistani attacks, saying the war was imposed on Afghanistan.