Hundreds reported dead in Kabul as Pakistan disputes responsibility

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out a deadly airstrike on a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Kabul, an allegation that Islamabad has firmly denied, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate, as per CNN.

Afghan government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the strike targeted a large rehabilitation facility in the Afghan capital, resulting in at least 400 deaths and leaving approximately 250 people injured.

According to Afghan officials, the attack took place at around 9:00 p.m. local time (19:30), destroying a significant portion of the building, which had a capacity of 2,000 beds. Authorities in Kabul condemned the incident as a “crime against humanity.”

CNN also reported on the timing and scale of the strike, citing the extensive damage inflicted on the facility.

Pakistan, however, categorically rejected the accusations. In an official statement, the country’s Ministry of Information described the claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that Pakistani forces had conducted strikes exclusively against military targets and infrastructure linked to militant activity. The statement specified that these targets included bases used by Pakistani militants operating from Afghan territory.

The incident comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between the two neighbours. The latest phase of escalation began on February 22, when Pakistan carried out strikes against positions of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Within days, the Taliban movement, which has governed Afghanistan since 2021, launched an offensive into Pakistan’s border regions.

In response to the cross-border attacks, Islamabad declared what it described as an “open war” against Taliban forces, marking a significant intensification of hostilities between the two sides.

By Tamilla Hasanova