In a significant escalation of tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, an airstrike by Pakistan on a rehabilitation facility for drug users in Kabul resulted in at least 400 deaths and left 250 injured, according to a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government on Tuesday. This incident marks a dramatic intensification of the ongoing conflict between the neighboring countries.

Pakistan, however, dismissed these allegations as inaccurate and misleading, asserting that their military operations specifically targeted terrorist infrastructure and military sites on Monday night.

The airstrike occurred shortly after China expressed its willingness to continue facilitating peace efforts between the two South Asian nations, urging both to refrain from further military actions and to seek diplomatic solutions.

This conflict, which reignited last month, represents the most severe confrontation between the two countries that share a 2,600-kilometer border. Despite attempts by allies, including China, to mediate and calm the situation, hostilities have resumed.

The escalation is part of a broader regional instability, with concurrent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian responses further complicating the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.

On the ground, the aftermath of the airstrike was evident, with a single-story building charred and damaged by fire. In other locations, structures were reduced to rubble, with only a few bunk beds surviving amid scattered blankets, personal items, and bedding.

“When I arrived (last night), I saw that everything was burning, people were burning,” ambulance driver Haji Fahim told Reuters. “Early in the morning they called me again and told me to come back because there are still bodies under the rubble.”

Ambulances and police vehicles were parked near the gate of the damaged facility, which a sign identified as a “drug addiction treatment hospital” with 1,000 beds, while security personnel maintained guard.

Pakistan denies ‘misreporting’ of attack

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the airstrike took place at 9 pm local time on Monday and targeted the state-run Omid hospital, which he said was a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation centre.

“Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,” he said in a post on X. “Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured.”

Rescue teams were at the scene working to control the fire and recover the victims, he added.

Reuters could not verify the casualty numbers and the Pakistani military could not be reached for comment outside business hours.

The Pakistani Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the Afghan Taliban claim was “misreporting of facts”.

In an overnight post on X, it said that Pakistan targeted military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure” including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against Pakistani civilians.

“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” the post said. “This misreporting of facts as drug rehabilitation facility seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism.”

Local media reports building engulfed in flames

The Omid hospital was established in 2016 and has treated hundreds of people, also providing them with vocational training such as tailoring and carpentry to make them more employable, according to local media reports.

Overnight visuals from local media showed flames engulfing a single-storey building, while thick smoke billowed from another section of the same complex. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.

Fierce fighting between the South Asian neighbours, who were close allies earlier, erupted last month with Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that targeted civilians and launched its own attacks.

Both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on the other but independent verification has not been possible.

Islamabad says Kabul provides a safe haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying tackling militancy is Pakistan’s internal problem.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, said he was “dismayed” by fresh reports of Pakistani airstrikes and resulting civilian deaths.

“My condolences. I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals,” he said in a post on X.

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