Kabul, Mar 17: The death toll from a Pakistani airstrike on a hospital treating drug users in Kabul has risen to 400, Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said early Tuesday. Another 250 people were reported injured as rescue teams worked to control the fire and recover bodies.
The strike on Monday night reportedly destroyed large sections of the hospital. Afghanistan’s Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a local TV interview that the entire facility had been destroyed, with most casualties being patients undergoing treatment. Government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the attack as a violation of Afghan territory.
Pakistan denied targeting a hospital, asserting the airstrikes — conducted in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan — hit only military installations and Taliban support infrastructure. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi called the allegations baseless, and the Ministry of Information described Afghanistan’s claims as “false and misleading.”
The alleged attack occurred hours after cross-border fighting killed four people in Afghanistan. Pakistan claims militants operating from Afghan soil carry out attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies. Recent clashes include mortar attacks, drone incidents, and multiple Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar.
The U.N. Security Council, in a resolution adopted unanimously, condemned “all terrorist activity” and called on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to intensify counterterrorism efforts, while extending the UN political mission in the country for three months.
Afghan officials said recent Pakistani shelling in Khost Province killed four people, including children, and destroyed homes. Earlier, Pakistan reported four deaths from an Afghan mortar strike in Bajaur district. Both sides claim higher casualties in ongoing cross-border clashes that began in late February after Afghan counterstrikes.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi in Kabul emphasized that defending sovereignty is the duty of all citizens, expressing regret over civilian casualties. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed 684 Afghan Taliban were killed in recent operations, a figure rejected by Kabul, which claims over 100 Pakistani soldiers have died. (Agencies)
