Taliban say hundreds killed in strike on Kabul hospital; Pakistan denies civilian toll

The Taliban government said an air strike killed at least 400 people and wounded 250 at a Kabul drug rehabilitation hospital, a claim Pakistan rejected as false, saying it precisely targeted militant sites with no collateral damage.

At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike on a rehabilitation hospital in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, a spokesman for the Taliban government said. Pakistan dismissed the allegation as “misreporting of facts,” saying its operations were aimed at militant infrastructure and were carried out to avoid civilian casualties.

A deputy spokesman for the Taliban said the strike hit a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation hospital and that rescue teams were working to control a fire and recover victims. Independent verification of the reported casualty figures was not immediately possible. The hospital’s name was not provided.

Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a post on X that its forces targeted “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar, alleging those sites were used against Pakistani civilians.

“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” the post said.

The ministry added that characterizing the targets as a drug rehabilitation facility amounted to “misreporting of facts,” which it said sought to stir public sentiment.

The Taliban government, which took power in Kabul in 2021, accused Pakistan of striking civilian areas in violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty. In an earlier post on X, a deputy spokesman said large parts of the hospital complex were destroyed and warned of heavy casualties.

“Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,” he said in a post on X.

Rising cross-border tensions

The South Asian neighbors, once close allies, have traded accusations for months amid a surge in violence along the frontier. Fighting escalated last month when Pakistan carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds. Afghan authorities condemned those strikes as violations of sovereignty and said civilians were hit, and they launched their own attacks in response.

Both sides have claimed to inflict heavy damage on the other. Independent assessments have been difficult, with access limited and casualty figures disputed by the parties involved.

Pakistan says militants staging attacks on its soil enjoy safe haven in Afghanistan. The Taliban government denies the allegation and argues that militancy inside Pakistan is an internal Pakistani matter.

Regional partners, including China, have tried to mediate to halt the exchanges, and tensions had briefly eased before flaring again, officials from both countries have said.

International reaction

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, said he was dismayed by fresh reports of air strikes and civilian deaths.

“My condolences. I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals,”

he said in a post on X.

Further details about the strike, the specific targets, and the full toll remain unclear. Authorities in both countries have not released comprehensive evidence supporting their accounts. The incident underscores the risk of a broader confrontation as Kabul and Islamabad trade claims over cross-border militancy and responsibility for protecting civilians.