Afghan authorities say a Pakistani assault killed a whole lot of civilians; Islamabad rejects declare as ‘false’.
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Revealed On 17 Mar 2026
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Households have gathered outdoors a drug therapy centre within the Afghan capital, Kabul, in search of their family members after it was hit in a Pakistani air strike, which Taliban authorities stated killed 408 individuals.
The assault on Kabul’s Omar Habit Remedy Hospital passed off at about 9pm native time (16:30 GMT) on Monday.
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Baryalai Amiri, a 38-year-old mechanic, was on the 2,000-bed facility on Tuesday to search for his brother, who was admitted about 25 days in the past.
“We aren’t given the correct info,” Amiri advised the AFP information company, as rescuers picked by way of the rubble close by. “To date, we don’t know the place he’s.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been in battle for months, with Islamabad accusing its neighbour of harbouring armed teams which have mounted lethal cross-border assaults.
The most recent spherical of violence that started final month, two days earlier than the world’s focus shifted sharply to the US-Israel struggle on Iran, is the worst ever between the neighbours.
The 2 nations share a 2,600km (1,600-mile) border. The battle had ebbed amid makes an attempt by pleasant international locations, together with China, to mediate and finish the combating earlier than flaring up once more.
Pakistan denied Afghan claims that its newest assault focused civilians, as a substitute insisting that it carried out precision strikes on “navy installations and terrorist help infrastructure”.
“Pakistan’s focusing on is exact and thoroughly undertaken to make sure no collateral injury is inflicted,” the Ministry of Info and Broadcasting stated. Islamabad dismissed the declare as “false and aimed toward deceptive public opinion”.
The well being authorities stated there have been about 3,000 sufferers from throughout Afghanistan on the clinic on the time of the assault, which triggered panic in Kabul simply after residents had damaged their day by day Ramadan quick.
The United Nations particular rapporteur on the scenario of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, stated he was “dismayed” by experiences of the air raids and civilian casualties.
“I urge events to de-escalate, train most restraint & respect worldwide legislation, together with the safety of civilians and civilian objects reminiscent of hospitals,” he posted on X.
‘It was like doomsday’
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Inside Affairs stated on Tuesday that the assault killed 408 individuals and injured 265.
Witnesses stated they heard three explosions simply as individuals within the hospital have been finishing night prayers. Two of the bombs struck rooms and affected person areas, they stated.
“The entire place caught hearth. It was like doomsday,” 50-year-old Ahmad advised the Reuters information company.
“My mates have been burning within the hearth, and we couldn’t save all of them,” he stated, giving solely his first title as he was beneath therapy on the facility.
Ambulance driver Haji Fahim advised Reuters that he arrived on the web site shortly after the air raids.
“Once I arrived [last night], I noticed that every part was burning, individuals have been burning,” Fahim stated on Tuesday. “Early within the morning, they known as me once more and advised me to return again as a result of there are nonetheless our bodies beneath the rubble.”
The clinic was established in 2016 and has handled a whole lot of individuals, additionally offering them with vocational coaching, reminiscent of tailoring and carpentry, to make them employable, in keeping with native media experiences.
