KABUL (Afghanistan): More than 400 people were killed and over 250 injured after a Pakistani military airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, according to Afghan officials quoted by TOLOnews. The late-night attack caused extensive destruction and is among the deadliest recent strikes on civilians in Afghanistan. Most victims were patients and staff present at the facility.
India has condemned the airstrikes. In a statement ,Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, described the strikes as “ yet another act of aggression by a Pakistani establishment that remains hostile to the idea of a sovereign Afghanistan.”
Afghan authorities said the death toll continued to rise as hospitals in Kabul treated many in critical condition. The Islamic Emirate’s deputy spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, confirmed the figures, while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid vowed retaliation, declaring that “the time for diplomacy with Pakistan is over.”
The strike drew international condemnation, with the UN’s Richard Bennett and the International Human Rights Foundation expressing alarm over civilian casualties and calling for an independent investigation. Human rights bodies stressed that hospitals and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted under international law.
The attack has sharply heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, whose relations are already strained by past cross-border assaults on Afghan civilians, including women and children. Regional observers warn that this incident could further destabilize the region and undermine international efforts for peace in post-war Afghanistan.
-with summery of ANI news, 7 March, 2026.
