The Afghan government has reported a devastating airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, resulting in approximately 400 fatalities and around 250 injuries. This incident has heightened tensions between the two nations.
Hamidullah Fitrat, a deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, announced the attack on social media, stating that the Pakistani military conducted the airstrike around 9 PM local time on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a facility with a capacity of 2,000 beds. Fitrat noted that a significant portion of the hospital was destroyed in the assault.
Witnesses in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions throughout the city, followed by the sound of aircraft and anti-aircraft systems.
Sharaafat Zaman Amarkhail, a spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Health, confirmed to BBC that there were no military installations near the hospital.
Zabihullah Mujahid, another government spokesperson, condemned the airstrike, accusing Pakistan of targeting hospitals and civilian sites to instill terror.
In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information labeled the claims of the hospital attack as false. Attaullah Tarar, the head of the ministry, asserted that the Pakistani armed forces successfully carried out precise airstrikes on military targets associated with the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul and Nangarhar, destroying technical infrastructure and ammunition depots.
Background on Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict
On October 11, 2025, Pakistan accused Taliban forces of firing on its border posts, prompting a military response. Pakistan has long alleged that the Taliban allows radical Islamist groups, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory, a claim the Taliban government denies.
On October 12, Afghan officials claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in exchanges of fire, while the Taliban accused Pakistan of bombarding Kabul and a market in eastern Afghanistan, a charge Pakistan did not acknowledge.
On the same day, Pakistan closed its border with Afghanistan, disrupting trade routes between South and Central Asia. The country has also initiated a nationwide campaign to deport undocumented foreigners, primarily Afghans, with over a million repatriated since 2023.
On October 19, representatives from both countries began peace talks in Doha, Qatar, agreeing on an immediate ceasefire. These discussions were facilitated by Qatar and Turkey.
Despite the ceasefire agreement reached in October, negotiations in Turkey stalled due to disagreements over groups hostile to Pakistan operating within Afghanistan.
In December 2025, both nations exchanged heavy fire along their border, and on February 21, 2026, Pakistan reported targeted strikes on seven camps and hideouts allegedly belonging to Pakistani Taliban militants based in Afghanistan near the border.
The Afghan government has accused Pakistan of launching an airstrike on a Kabul rehabilitation center, resulting in significant casualties. The incident has escalated ongoing tensions between the two countries, with conflicting narratives regarding military actions and border security.