Reported by Sanchita Chatterjee: At least 400 people have died in an airstrike on a hospital in Kabul. It is alleged that Pakistan carried out this airstrike. Hamdullah Fitrat, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Afghan government, claims that Pakistan launched an attack on a rehabilitation hospital. He further asserted 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 that the attack was carried out 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, had initially stated that at least 200 people had died.
However, Hamdullah Fitrat has since reported that the death toll has already exceeded 400. It is reported that approximately 250 people have been 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 also fears that the number of casualties could rise further. Notably, a gunfight had broken out between the two sides along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border earlier on Monday. It is 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 further 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 hospital in Kabul. They maintain that while strikes were indeed conducted—not only in Kabul but also in eastern Afghanistan—no civilian targets or residential areas were deliberately 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 Afghanistan.
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