Taliban-led Afghan authorities accuse Pakistan of launching the attack, warning it marks a dangerous escalation in tensions between the two neighboring nations.
A devastating airstrike has torn through a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving at least 400 people feared dead and around 250 others injured in one of the deadliest incidents in recent times.
Afghan authorities under the Taliban have accused Pakistan of carrying out the strike, calling it a grave and dangerous escalation in the already fragile relations between the two neighboring nations.
According to a Taliban spokesman, the attack struck a major state-run rehabilitation center late Monday night, reducing large parts of the facility to rubble and igniting a massive blaze that engulfed patients and staff. Reports from Reuters described scenes of widespread destruction and panic.
Pakistan, however, has firmly denied responsibility, dismissing the allegations as “false and misleading.” Officials in Islamabad insist the operation targeted only militant infrastructure as part of a precise counter-terrorism mission.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the strikes were aimed at “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure,” adding that secondary explosions at the site suggested the presence of ammunition depots.
The incident has sharply intensified tensions between the two countries, whose relationship has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks along their 2,600-kilometre border.
The strike reportedly came just hours after China urged both sides to exercise restraint and return to dialogue, as Beijing continues its efforts to mediate between the rivals.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of chaos and terror as explosions erupted during evening prayers.
“The entire place went up in flames. It felt like the end of the world,” said Ahmad, a survivor. “People were burning, and we couldn’t save everyone.”
Another witness, ambulance driver Haji Fahim, described arriving to a scene of devastation. “Everything was on fire people, buildings, everything,” he said. “Even by morning, bodies were still trapped beneath the rubble.”
Images circulating in local media show charred structures, thick smoke rising into the night sky, and rescue teams scrambling to pull survivors from the wreckage. Parts of the hospital have been reduced to twisted metal and ash, with personal belongings scattered across the site.
Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed the strike hit the Omid rehabilitation hospital around 9 p.m., describing it as a major government-run facility for treating drug addiction. He warned that the casualty toll could be even higher as rescue operations continue.
Independent verification of the figures remains difficult due to restricted access and conflicting claims from both sides.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s office has also rejected accusations of targeting civilians, calling the Taliban’s narrative a distortion of facts aimed at deflecting from alleged cross-border militancy. Islamabad has long accused Afghan authorities of harboring armed groups, a claim the Taliban denies.
Established in 2016, the hospital had provided treatment and vocational training to hundreds battling addiction, making its destruction a significant humanitarian blow.
The attack comes amid rising regional instability, fueling fears of a broader conflict across parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern, urging all parties to exercise restraint and uphold international law, particularly the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure such as hospitals.
As rescue efforts continue, fears persist that the death toll may rise further, deepening the humanitarian crisis and casting a dark shadow over the future of relations between the two nations.