Afghanistan's deputy government spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, has stated that the death toll from an airstrike on a hospital in Kabul has reached 400 people, with around 250 injured. The facility, Omid Hospital, was treating drug users at the time of the attack. Fitrat blamed the Pakistani military for the strike, which he said killed mostly patients.
Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading, asserting that it had precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. Islamabad denied hitting a civilian target, describing the hospital as a drug rehabilitation facility used to cover illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism.
Witnesses described scenes of devastation. Ahmad, a security guard at the hospital, said he was the only survivor among 25 staff in the dormitory. Patient Yousaf Rahim recounted how patients fell from their beds, screaming as fire and smoke filled the wards. Ambulance driver Haji Fahim arrived to find everything burning and people on fire.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, expressed dismay over the reports and urged all parties to de-escalate and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals.
The airstrike occurred hours after cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan killed four people in Afghanistan. This is the third time in recent weeks that Pakistan has targeted Kabul with missile strikes. The conflict, which began in late February, has displaced over 20,000 people and disrupted a Qatar-brokered ceasefire.
