Airstrike Hits Kabul Drug Treatment Centre
Dozens of individuals are feared dead or injured following an airstrike on a drug treatment centre in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. The Taliban government has attributed the attack to Pakistan.
The hospital was struck on Monday evening, resulting in multiple casualties, according to the government's spokesperson who communicated via X.
Pakistan Denies Targeting Health Facilities
Pakistan has denied any involvement in striking health facilities, asserting that its operations "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" in Kabul and Nangahar province.
Hospital Damage and Casualties
The BBC visited the affected hospital, where sections remained ablaze. Observers witnessed over 30 bodies being transported on stretchers.
Hospital officials reported that approximately 2,000 patients were receiving treatment at the centre at the time of the strike, and they anticipate that casualties could number in the hundreds.
Official Statements and Local Accounts
Sharafat Zaman Amarkhail, spokesman for the Afghan health ministry, informed the BBC that no military facilities were located near the hospital.
Residents in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions around 20:50 local time (16:20 GMT), followed by sounds of aircraft and air defense systems.
Family members of patients gathered outside the hospital, anxiously seeking information about their relatives.
Death Toll and Verification
A spokesperson for the Taliban government claimed that the death toll had reached at least 400; however, the BBC has not independently confirmed these figures.
Pakistan's Response to Allegations
Pakistan's information ministry stated that the strikes were "precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted."
"[The claim is] a misreporting of facts... [that] seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism," the ministry added.
Context of Ongoing Conflict
The conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan reignited in February, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harboring militant groups, a charge denied by the Taliban government.
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), since 26 February, at least 75 people have been killed and 193 injured in Afghanistan due to cross-border fighting.
This escalation follows months of clashes despite a fragile ceasefire agreement reached in October.
International Diplomatic Efforts
China, which has sought to reduce tensions, reported that its foreign minister Wang Yi has engaged in telephone conversations with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts over the past week.
"Calling for a ceasefire 'at the earliest opportunity', Beijing on Monday urged the two countries to 'remain calm and exercise restraint [and to] engage face to face ASAP'."
