Kabul, Afghanistan, March 17 – The death toll from a Pakistani airstrike that demolished a Kabul hospital treating drug users has surged to 400, with 250 others injured, Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman announced Tuesday.
Hamdullah Fitrat shared the grim update on X, noting the Monday night strike razed large sections of the facility. Rescue teams are battling fires to recover bodies amid the rubble, where most victims were vulnerable patients seeking treatment.
Afghanistan’s Health Ministry initially reported over 200 deaths, with spokesman Sharafat Zaman describing total destruction in a televised interview shared by government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. Local footage shows firefighters struggling against flames in the ruins.
Pakistan denies striking the hospital, insisting its operations in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan targeted only “military installations and terrorist infrastructure” used by Afghan Taliban and Pakistani militants against civilians. Information Ministry posts on X called Afghan claims “false and misleading,” emphasizing “precise” strikes to avoid collateral damage.
The attack follows weeks of escalating border clashes, the deadliest in years. Afghan officials report four deaths, including two children, from Pakistani mortar fire in Khost Province. Pakistan claims an Afghan mortar killed four family members in Bajaur district.
Tensions boiled over after Afghanistan accused Pakistan of civilian-killing airstrikes, prompting cross-border responses. Pakistani leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, decry Afghan drone incursions as crossing a “red line.” Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Pakistani Taliban and Baloch militants; Afghanistan denies this.
The UN Security Council urged Afghanistan to combat terrorism but condemned all attacks, extending the UNAMA mission. A prior Qatar-brokered ceasefire has collapsed, with both sides claiming heavy enemy losses—Pakistan says 684 Taliban killed, while Afghanistan reports over 100 Pakistani soldiers dead.
Afghan Deputy PM Abdul Salam Hanafi called for national unity to defend sovereignty, lamenting civilian suffering in what he termed an “imposed war.” Families mourn as the humanitarian crisis deepens along the volatile border.
