Afghanistan Claims at Least 400 Dead in Airstrike on Kabul Hospital.

Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: At least 400 people have reportedly died in an airstrike on a hospital in Kabul. It is alleged that Pakistan carried out the attack. Hamdullah Fitrat, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Afghan government, claims that Pakistan launched the strike against a rehabilitation hospital. He further stated that at least 250 people were injured in the incident. However, Pakistan has denied these allegations made by Afghanistan's Taliban government. The Taliban government claims the attack took place around 9:00 PM local time on Monday. The strike targeted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. This facility, which has a capacity of 2,000 beds, provides treatment for drug addicts. As a result of the attack, a significant portion of the drug rehabilitation center—or hospital—has been destroyed. Following the strike, Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson for Afghanistan's Ministry of Health, initially reported that at least 200 people had died.

However, Hamdullah Fitrat has since stated that the death toll has already exceeded 400. It has been reported that approximately 250 people were injured. He added that rescue teams are currently on the scene working to bring the fire under control and recover the remaining bodies of the deceased. There are fears that the number of casualties could rise further. Notably, a gunfight broke out between the two sides along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border earlier on Monday. It was reported that four Afghan citizens were killed in that clash. This airstrike followed shortly thereafter. The Taliban government has strongly condemned the attack, declaring it to be in complete violation of humanitarian principles.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Islamabad carried out the attack by violating Afghanistan's airspace. He also confirmed that all the casualties were individuals undergoing treatment at the hospital.

However, Pakistan has categorically denied the allegations of carrying out an attack on the Kabul hospital. They maintain that strikes were indeed conducted—not only in Kabul but also in eastern Afghanistan—but assert that no civilians or residential areas were targeted. Musharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, claims that the Pakistan Army has carried out a precision strike targeting militant infrastructure located in Afghanist