Taliban Claims 400 Dead, 250 Injured in Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Hospital

Kabul Hospital Strike Death Toll Rises to 400; Pakistan Denies Targeting Civilians

The death toll from a reported Pakistani airstrike on a drug treatment hospital in Kabul has climbed to 400, according to Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. Around 250 others were injured in the strike, which allegedly destroyed large sections of the facility late Monday.

Fitrat said rescue teams were still battling flames and searching through debris for bodies. Earlier, Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman had put the toll at over 200, describing the hospital as completely destroyed.

Afghanistan’s chief spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the attack, calling it a violation of the country’s sovereignty. He said most victims were patients undergoing treatment at the facility.

However, Pakistan firmly rejected the allegations, insisting its airstrikes targeted militant infrastructure, not civilian sites. Officials said the operation focused on “terrorist support facilities” and was carried out with precision to avoid collateral damage, dismissing Kabul’s claims as “false and misleading.”

The incident has further escalated tensions between the two neighbours. Cross-border clashes have intensified in recent days, with both sides reporting civilian casualties. Afghan officials said mortar fire from Pakistan hit villages in Khost province, killing four people, including children. Meanwhile, Pakistan reported that a mortar fired from Afghanistan killed four family members in Bajaur.

The violence marks one of the deadliest phases in recent years between the two countries, amid growing mistrust and retaliatory strikes along the border.

The situation has also drawn international concern. The United Nations Security Council recently urged Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to step up efforts against terrorism, while extending the mandate of its political mission in the country.

As tensions rise, both sides continue to trade accusations—Pakistan alleging safe havens for militants in Afghanistan, and Kabul denying the claims while accusing Islamabad of aggression.