Guwahati: The death toll from a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul has risen to 400, with about 250 others injured, according to officials of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said the strike targeted the 2,000-bed Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital at around 9 p.m., causing extensive damage to the facility.
Large sections of the hospital were destroyed in the strike, and rescue teams were continuing operations at the site to control the fire and recover bodies from the rubble, he said.
The incident has sharply escalated tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, with Kabul accusing Islamabad of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Fitrat said the hospital was dedicated to treating individuals struggling with drug addiction and warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue workers continued searching through the damaged structure.
The reports of heavy civilian casualties have drawn concern from international observers and human rights groups.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said he was deeply troubled by the reports of civilian deaths.
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims, Bennett urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect international law, including the protection of hospitals and other civilian facilities.
Human rights organisations have also condemned the strike. The International Human Rights Foundation said hospitals and rehabilitation centres must never be targeted, describing the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law.
The organisation called for an independent international investigation into the incident and urged accountability for those responsible.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking to Tolo News, warned that diplomatic engagement with Pakistan had reached its limit and said the attack would not go unanswered.
Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan also reacted to the reports, saying that attacks on homes, schools and medical facilities amount to war crimes. In a post on X, he called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to investigate the incident and support civilians affected by the violence.
Separate reports indicated that the air strike was part of a wider series of bombardments across Kabul.
According to local media outlet Khaama Press, several explosions were reported in different parts of the Afghan capital during the strikes. Videos circulating on social media showed large fires and blasts, with witnesses saying the explosions were powerful enough to shake nearby neighbourhoods.
The report also said Pakistani aircraft targeted a Taliban military facility in the Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late on Monday night.
The latest escalation follows reports that Taliban forces had launched drone attacks on areas inside Pakistan, heightening tensions along the border.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the alleged drone strikes on civilian areas in Pakistan, saying the Afghan Taliban had crossed a “red line”, according to Khaama Press.
Clashes between Pakistani troops and Taliban have intensified in recent weeks, with civilians on both sides of the border increasingly affected by the violence.
The deteriorating security situation has also prompted diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. Khaama Press reported that China had attempted to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul, though Pakistan was said to have rejected the proposal.
The latest air strikes highlight the rapidly worsening relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, as both sides accuse each other of supporting cross-border attacks and destabilising the region.