India on Tuesday condemned the reported Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in the east of Kabul, calling it a “barbaric” attack on civilians, “a heinous act of aggression” and “a direct threat to regional peace and stability.”
India’s External Affairs Ministry said the strike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital on Monday night was “a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence” and accused Pakistan of attempting to portray civilian casualties as part of a military operation.
“This heinous act of aggression … is also a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
Taliban officials have said the strike killed at least 400 people and wounded 250 others, though the figures could not be independently verified. They said the facility, which treats drug addiction patients, was directly targeted.
Pakistan has denied targeting a hospital. Pakistani officials say the strike was aimed at nearby ammunition depots and have accused Taliban of setting fire to the rehabilitation center themselves — a claim the Taliban reject.
The conflicting accounts have left many key questions unresolved about what was hit and how the large number of casualties occurred.
The drug rehabilitation center is located in Hootkhail area in Kabul’s District 9, east of the city. At the same time, sources said other parts of Kabul were also targeted overnight, including an ammunition depot belonging to the Taliban Defense Ministry in the city’s District 8.
According to the sources, the attack triggered a fire and thick smoke that rose into the sky for several hours, and firefighting teams were unable to bring the blaze under control.
The reported attack came as cross-border clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban entered their third week, raising concerns about escalating violence and its impact on civilians.
India’s statement said the attack, which it said occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, could not be justified under any circumstances and called on the international community to hold those responsible accountable.
New Delhi also reiterated its support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing militants from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghanistan’s territory, an allegation Taliban deny. However, a UN monitoring group has reported that TTP has around 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan.
The United Nations has previously warned of rising civilian casualties in the conflict, reporting that 73 civilians were killed and 193 wounded during the first two weeks of fighting.
