Afghanistan says Pakistan hit Kabul rehab center killing 408, Islamabad rejects claim

Afghanistan says Pakistan hit Kabul rehab center killing 408, Islamabad rejects claim

Over 400 individuals perished and 265 were injured in a Pakistani airstrike that targeted a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul, according to a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government. The attack, which occurred on Monday night, marks the deadliest incident since hostilities between the two nations began in October 2025. Islamabad has since dismissed the report as false, asserting it focused on military sites and infrastructure supporting terrorism.

Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, claimed the strike hit “military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage sites,” emphasizing “visible secondary detonations” that suggested large stockpiles of explosives. Meanwhile, Afghan officials insist the attack struck a state-run drug treatment center, which they describe as a 2,000-bed facility operated by the Taliban. A Taliban deputy spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, confirmed the strike took place at 9 p.m. local time, targeting the Omid Hospital.

Camp Phoenix, an abandoned NATO base repurposed as a drug treatment center a decade ago, was reportedly hit. Locals refer to it as Omid Camp, or “camp of hope,” though its official name is “Ibn Sina Drug Addiction Treatment Hospital.” Residents, including a Reuters journalist, stated the facility and Omid Hospital are distinct entities. The facility was converted into a rehab center by Kabul, they added, and people were gathered there for evening prayers when the explosions occurred.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, expressed skepticism toward Pakistan’s intentions, citing lost trust in the country’s commitment to diplomatic solutions. The conflict, now the most severe between the two neighboring Islamic states, has intensified since October. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants who attack its territory, while the Taliban disputes this, labeling it Pakistan’s internal issue.

At the strike site, a single-story building was reduced to smoldering ruins, with flames licking at the remains. Nearby structures were flattened, leaving only scattered bunk beds and personal belongings in the wreckage. The Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qanie, reported 408 deaths and 265 injuries, though the exact casualty count remains unverified. A Taliban official, Hafizullah Maroof, noted at least 102 bodies were transported to Kabul’s forensic department.

“The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday,” said Ahmad, 5, describing the chaos. The Norwegian Refugee Council confirmed hundreds of civilians were killed or wounded, while the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called for immediate de-escalation, stating the attack impacted dozens. The EU echoed concerns, highlighting civilian and medical facilities as protected under international law, and condemning the strike as a “deadly escalation.”

“There were many families there trying to find their loved ones,” Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, reported from the scene via video link. She described the aftermath as “devastating.”