Key Points:
Afghanistan has claimed that Pakistan carried out an airstrike on Kabul’s Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, killing over 400 civilians and injuring around 250. The strike reportedly targeted a rehabilitation centre, raising serious humanitarian concerns.
Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, stating that airstrikes (part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq) were aimed at terrorist infrastructure and militant facilities. It claims the strikes were part of ongoing retaliation against militant groups allegedly supported by Afghanistan.
The incident marks a major escalation in Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions, following weeks of cross-border violence and mutual accusations. India has strongly condemned the strike, calling it a violation of sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability.
In what comes as a shocking military strike targeting civilians, Afghanistan claimed that Pakistan attacked a rehabilitation centre located in Kabul, claiming over 400 lives. The recent skirmishes between the bordering nations have deteriorated with the recent Pakistani attack occurring late evening on March 16, 2026.
Deputy Government Spokesman of Afghanistan, Hamdullah Fitrat stated that the strikes were carried out by the Pakistani military in an airstrike at the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. The strikes were carried at approximately 9:00 pm local time, at the 2000 bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction, he added.
In a post on X (March 17, 2026), Fitrat said: “As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties. Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured.”
Pakistan has responded by saying that these allegations were false and its military carried out precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure and military installations. The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that the strikes specifically targeted ammunition depots and facilities allegedly used by militant groups. The military strike by Pakistan is part of a broader military operation, codenamed "Operation Ghazab lil Haq", that started in late February 2026.
Earlier this year, both the neighbouring nations were involved in deadly skirmishes. Pakistan claims that Afghanistan supports Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant organisations responsible for terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Afghanistan however, says that Pakistan's militant violence is a domestic failure, not an Afghan export.
Previously, terror attacks occurred in Pakistan on February 6, 2026 at a Shia mosque in Islamabad. Pakistan blamed these attacks on Afghanistan, along with the militant violence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In what it described as retaliatory strikes, Pakistan launched airstrikes across several locations at Afghanistan-Pakistan borders on February 21, 2026, and February 22, 2026.
Afghanistan claimed that these military strikes hit civilian homes, killing at least 18 civilians, including women and children. It responded by launching cross border artillery fire and retaliatory ground attacks on Pakistani border outposts. By February 27, 2026, Pakistan declared open war on Afghanistan, leading to the current strike and marking a complete fallout of dialogue and diplomacy.
India has strongly condemned the barbaric and cowardly airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan.
Randhir Jaiswal, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, in a press conference on March 17, 2026, said: “India unequivocally condemns Pakistan's barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16. This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation.”
India further condemned the attack as a blatant violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and a threat to regional stability, accusing Pakistan of using cross-border violence to distract from its own internal failures. Calling on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable and stop the targeting of civilians, India extended its deepest sympathies to the victims and reaffirmed its strong support for the Afghan people.
(Rh/GP)
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