Dozens of people are feared dead and many more injured after a devastating airstrike struck a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.
The facility, which was reportedly housing about 2,000 patients undergoing treatment, was hit on Monday evening. According to officials, parts of the centre were still burning hours after the attack, as emergency responders carried out over 30 bodies from the scene.
The Taliban-led Afghan government has blamed neighbouring Pakistan for the strike, with a spokesperson claiming the death toll could be as high as 400. However, these figures have not been independently verified.
Pakistan has strongly denied targeting any health facility. In a statement, its information ministry insisted the operation was aimed strictly at “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar.
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Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s health ministry says there were no military facilities near the rehabilitation centre, contradicting Pakistan’s claims.
Residents in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions around 8:50 p.m. local time, followed by the sounds of aircraft and air defence systems. Families of patients rushed to the scene, desperately searching for loved ones.
The site, once a U.S. military base, had been converted into a drug treatment centre after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
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Rescue efforts continued into Tuesday, with emergency teams searching through flattened debris, charred buildings, and scattered personal belongings.
This incident marks a serious escalation in tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, amid ongoing accusations by Islamabad that Kabul is harbouring militant groups — claims the Taliban government denies.
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 75 people have been killed and nearly 200 injured in cross-border clashes since late February.
Efforts to de-escalate the situation are ongoing. China has called for restraint, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi urging both sides to agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible.
