In one of the deadliest single incidents of the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, a Pakistani airstrike has reportedly devastated a major drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing more than 400 people and injuring at least 250 others.
The strike, which took place at approximately 9 p.m. local time on Monday, targeted the state-run Omid Hospital — a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation center CNN located near Kabul’s international airport. The facility was formerly known as the Ibn Sina Drug Addiction Treatment Hospital and was renamed and expanded roughly a year ago as part of the Afghan government’s efforts to combat drug addiction. PBS
Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed in a post on X that the airstrike destroyed large sections of the facility, with the death toll reaching 400 and around 250 people reported injured. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strike, calling it “a crime against humanity” and stressing that those killed were innocent civilians and recovering addicts. Pakistan, however, firmly denied the allegations. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Pakistan had “only targeted terrorist infrastructure and military locations,” strongly rejecting claims that a hospital was struck. Pakistan’s information ministry maintained that the Omid Hospital was several kilometers away from Camp Phoenix — the military site it said was the actual target — pointing to secondary explosions as evidence of a munitions depot.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the strike, reminding all parties that attacks on hospitals and civilian facilities are strictly prohibited under international law. The incident marks a sharp escalation in a conflict between the two neighbors that erupted in late February, involving repeated cross-border clashes and airstrikes inside Afghanistan. International calls for an immediate ceasefire continue to go unheeded as the humanitarian toll mounts.
