Tragic Airstrike on Kabul Hospital Claims Hundreds of Lives

A recent airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul has led to a devastating loss of life, with Afghan officials reporting hundreds dead and injured. The attack has sparked significant tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both nations exchanging accusations. While Afghan authorities claim the strike was carried out by Pakistan, the latter denies targeting the hospital, asserting that their operations were aimed at military installations. This incident marks a severe escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two countries, raising concerns over civilian safety and sovereignty. As rescue efforts continue, the international community watches closely.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 17, 2026, 05:36 IST

Devastating Attack in Kabul

Recent videos have surfaced online depicting the aftermath of a devastating airstrike on a hospital in Kabul, with Afghan officials reporting that the attack resulted in the deaths of hundreds. The strike targeted a drug rehabilitation center in the capital late Monday night. Local media shared footage showing the facility engulfed in flames as firefighters battled to control the fire. Initially, Afghan authorities indicated that over 400 fatalities had been recorded. Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat later confirmed that at least 400 individuals had died, with an additional 250 reported injured. Rescue operations were ongoing as teams worked to extinguish the flames and recover victims from the wreckage.

Pakistan has denied any involvement in targeting the hospital. Earlier, Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Health Ministry, stated during a television interview that the entire drug treatment facility had been obliterated.

Government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the airstrike on social media, asserting that it infringed upon Afghanistan's sovereignty and that many victims were patients receiving care. Local television channels broadcast images of firefighters working to extinguish flames amid the ruins of the hospital.

Officials from Pakistan have dismissed the claims of targeting a hospital. Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, labeled the allegations as unfounded. The Ministry of Information in Pakistan stated that the airstrikes were aimed at military installations and terrorist support structures in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Nangarhar Province.

In a statement on social media, the ministry clarified that the strikes targeted equipment storage and ammunition facilities associated with Afghan Taliban forces and militants operating against Pakistan. They emphasized that the targeting was executed with precision to avoid collateral damage, labeling claims of a hospital strike as "false and misleading." This incident occurred shortly after Afghan officials reported exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations. Reports indicated that four individuals, including two children, were killed and ten others injured when mortar shells from Pakistan struck villages in Khost Province.

The ongoing clashes represent some of the most severe fighting between the two countries in years, now extending into a third week. Pakistan has attributed the escalation to cross-border attacks initiated by Afghan forces following earlier strikes that reportedly resulted in civilian casualties. Pakistani officials have characterized the situation as an "open war." President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan stated that the Taliban administration in Afghanistan crossed a "red line" by deploying drones that harmed civilians in Pakistan last week. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi emphasized the responsibility of all citizens to defend the nation's sovereignty while expressing sorrow over the civilian casualties from recent Pakistani airstrikes.