400 killed in Pakistan airstrike on Kabul hospital

At least 400 people have died and hundreds more have suffered injuries after a Pakistani military airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul.

'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. 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,' Deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Hamdullah Fitrat, said in a post on X.

The attack has become one of the deadliest single strikes on civilians in Afghanistan in recent years.

 

Local officials said emergency teams rushed to the site after the explosion. Hospitals across Kabul received a large number of wounded people. Authorities fear the death toll could increase further as several of the injured remain in critical condition.

 

 The strike has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organisations and global observers. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, expressed deep concern over the high number of civilian deaths.

 

 Bennett said that he "sympathise[s] with the families of the victims and urge[s] Kabul and Islamabad to reduce tensions and respect international laws, including protecting civilians and public places such as hospitals."

 

 The International Human Rights Foundation also condemned the attack. The organisation stressed that civilian infrastructure must remain protected during any conflict.

 

 It said that "public places such as hospitals should not be targeted". The organisation also called for an independent international investigation into the strike to determine responsibility and to ensure that those responsible "are brought to justice".

 

 Afghanistan and Pakistan share a long and sensitive border. Relations between the two neighbours have faced repeated strain due to security issues and cross-border operations.