WORLD
Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan of Deadly Kabul Hospital Airstrike as Death Toll Surges
Afghanistan claims hundreds were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a Kabul hospital, escalating tensions between the two neighbours as Islamabad denies targeting civilians.
2 min read
By Aurax Radio — Updated March 17, 2026
Aftermath of reported airstrikes in Kabul amid rising Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions
Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions erupt after deadly Kabul strike
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out a devastating airstrike on a hospital in Kabul that reportedly killed hundreds of people, marking one of the deadliest घटनations in the escalating conflict between the two countries.
According to Afghan officials, the strike hit a large drug rehabilitation facility in the Afghan capital on 16 March, killing at least 400 people and injuring around 250 others.
Pakistan has strongly denied targeting civilian infrastructure, insisting its operations were aimed at militant and “terrorist” facilities.
Conflicting accounts over what was struck
Afghan authorities say the strike destroyed large sections of a 2,000-bed hospital treating people with drug addiction, many of whom were inside at the time of the attack. Witnesses described chaos, fires, and people trapped beneath rubble.
Officials in Kabul insist there were no military targets in the vicinity, calling the incident a “crime against humanity.”
Pakistan, however, disputes these claims, maintaining that its airstrikes were “precise” and directed at infrastructure linked to militant groups operating from Afghan territory.
The sharply different narratives underscore the difficulty of independently verifying events on the ground.
Children reported among the dead
Reports from regional and international media indicate that civilians — including children — were among those killed in the attack, intensifying humanitarian concerns.
Earlier strikes in recent days had already resulted in civilian casualties, with women and children reported among the dead and injured in multiple incidents.
The scale of the latest reported casualties, however, represents a dramatic escalation.
A rapidly escalating conflict
The strike comes amid weeks of intensifying hostilities between Afghanistan’s Taliban government and Pakistan.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups — including factions responsible for attacks inside Pakistan — while the Taliban denies these allegations and accuses Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty.
Cross-border clashes, airstrikes, and retaliatory attacks have increased since late February, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Despite mediation efforts by countries such as China, attempts to de-escalate the situation have so far failed.
International concern grows
The reported scale of civilian casualties has drawn alarm from the international community, with calls for restraint and adherence to international law.
The United Nations and other observers have urged both sides to avoid further escalation and to protect civilians as the situation deteriorates.
The incident also comes just days before Eid al-Fitr, adding urgency to calls for de-escalation.
What happens next?
With both sides entrenched in competing narratives and rising military activity, the risk of further violence remains high.
Analysts warn that without renewed diplomatic engagement, the conflict could deepen instability across the region — particularly given the presence of multiple militant groups and fragile political conditions in Afghanistan.
For now, the truth behind the Kabul strike — including the exact target and full extent of casualties — remains contested, even as its consequences continue to unfold.
Sources: BBC News, Al Jazeera, PBS NewsHour, Reuters
