Over 400 killed after Pakistan airstrike on Kabul rehabilitation centre; Shehbaz Sharif denies allegations of attack

Pakistani airstrike on a major addiction treatment hospital in Kabul killed more than 400 people and injured at least 250 others, Taliban officials and local media reported, in what could become one of the deadliest incidents in the Afghan capital.

According to officials of the Taliban-led government, the strike targeted the 2,000-bed Umid addiction treatment hospital in Kabul at around 9 p.m.

Taliban Deputy spokesman Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat said that the attack caused extensive destruction across the facility.

"Pakistan's military regime bombed the 2,000-bed addicts' treatment hospital named Umid, destroying much of the hospital and raising fears of even higher casualties than estimated," Fitrat wrote on X, adding that the number of deaths had reached around 400 while as many as 250 others were wounded.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also condemned the incident in a post on X, saying the victims were largely vulnerable civilians.

"Innocent civilians and addicts who were mostly killed last night at the 2,000-bed hospital due to the bombing by (Pakistani military circles). Indeed, we belong to God and to Him we shall return," he wrote.

Officials from Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health said emergency teams rushed to the scene overnight as rescuers searched through damaged sections of the hospital. Ministry spokesman Sharaf Zaman said at least 170 wounded patients were initially transferred to nearby medical facilities.

"Rescue operations are still ongoing, and the death toll may rise," Zaman told reporters, adding that several sections of the hospital had been destroyed, local media reported as rescue teams battled fires and attempted to retrieve bodies from the rubble.

According to Khaama Press, the strike has been described by officials as one of the deadliest attacks in Kabul in recent years. The outlet reported that international figures quickly reacted to the incident.

Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, expressed concern over the reported civilian casualties and urged restraint between Kabul and Islamabad. Former Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law and urging that disputes be resolved through dialogue.

Former US special representative for Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad similarly voiced concern about the civilian toll and called for humanitarian assistance for victims.

Afghanistan cricket star Rashid Khan has condemned the reported civilian casualties from recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Kabul, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure a "war crime" and urging international bodies to investigate the incident.

In a post on X, the Afghan cricketer expressed deep sorrow over reports that civilians were killed in the strikes, which local officials say hit a major addiction treatment hospital in the Afghan capital.

"I am deeply saddened by the latest reports of civilian casualties as a result of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul," Khan wrote. "Targeting civilian homes, educational facilities or medical infrastructure, either intentional or by mistake, is a war crime."

He added that the reported attacks during the holy month of Ramadan were particularly disturbing.

"The sheer disregard for human lives, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is sickening and deeply concerning. It will only fuel division and hatred," Khan said in the post.

The cricketer also urged international organisations to take action and ensure accountability for the reported attack.

"I call upon the UN and other human rights agencies to thoroughly investigate this latest atrocity and hold the perpetrators to account. I stand with my Afghan people in this difficult time. We shall heal, and we will rise as a nation. We always do. Inshallah," he wrote.

His remarks come after Taliban officials reported that an airstrike late Monday struck the 2,000-bed Umid addiction treatment hospital in Kabul. Authorities said hundreds of patients and civilians were believed to be inside the facility when the attack occurred.

Deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, said the bombing caused extensive destruction across the hospital complex, while health officials reported that many sections of the facility had been severely damaged.

Rescue teams continued search and recovery operations through the night as emergency responders worked to treat the wounded and recover victims from the debris.

However, Pakistan strongly denied targeting a hospital. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mosharraf Zaidi, rejected the allegations, stating that no medical facility was struck during the operation, as reported by NDTV.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Pakistani military had conducted precision airstrikes against military installations in Kabul and in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar Province.

According to Tarar, the strikes targeted technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities allegedly being used by the Taliban government to assist militant groups.