Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people and injuring 250 following the launch of an air strike on a hospital treating drug users in the capital, Kabul. At around 9 pm on Monday, March 16, the attack occurred in Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, which accommodates 2,000 bed, said Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban government.
In a post on the social media platform X, Fitrat said, "The Pakistani military regime carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 PM this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction. 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."
He added, "Rescue teams are currently at the scene working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims." Pakistan, however, had previously denied the allegations of hitting a hospital, claiming that its strike in Kabul and other strikes in eastern Afghanistan on Monday did not target any civilian sites, AP reported.
Afghanistan-Pakistan clash
Tensions are soaring between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the clash erupted last month across their shared border as Islamabad accused the Taliban of hosting militant groups that plan attacks in Pakistan, an allegation Kabul denies. Meanwhile, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared “open war” against the Taliban government after striking military targets.
The latest attack comes following the claim by Afghanistan that Pakistan conducted an airstrike last week that killed at least four people and hit a fuel depot used by a domestic airline. Responding to the attack, the Afghan government said it targeted a military base in Pakistan. This claim has been denied by Islamabad, noting that three drones sent by militants backed by Kabul had been shot down, Bloomberg reported.
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