Pakistan Launches Airstrikes on Afghanistan; Kabul Rocked; Taliban Claims Hospital Bombed, 400 Dead…

New Delhi: Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated once again. Afghanistan claims that Pakistan targeted a hospital in the capital, Kabul, during a series of airstrikes. The incident reportedly resulted in the deaths of 400 people and left more than 250 injured. However, Pakistan has categorically rejected these allegations.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, stated that the attack targeted a hospital in Kabul that was being utilized as a drug rehabilitation center. The assault claimed the lives of numerous innocent people.

No Civilian Sites Were Targeted
Musharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, dismissed Afghanistan’s allegations as completely baseless. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information also clarified that the strikes were highly precise, targeting only military installations and terrorist infrastructure; no locations inhabited by civilians were targeted.

The tension between the two nations is also mounting along their shared border. According to Afghan officials, four people—including two children—were killed in recent cross-border shelling. Meanwhile, Pakistan has consistently alleged that various militant groups operating within Afghanistan launch attacks against its territory. Conversely, the Taliban government has consistently denied these accusations.

In the interim, the United Nations Security Council has urged Afghanistan to take strict action against terrorism to ensure regional stability. Attacks between the two countries have intensified since late February, and these clashes have now entered their third week.

Abdullah Abdullah, who previously served as the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation under the former Afghan government, has strongly condemned the attack—allegedly carried out by the Pakistani government—on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul last night. He has termed this attack a violation of international law.

Afghan Cricketers Express Outrage Over Kabul Attack
Mohammad Nabi, a player for the Afghanistan cricket team, has expressed deep concern regarding the attacks on Kabul attributed to Pakistan. Writing about the victims of the bombing, Nabi stated, “Mothers called out their sons’ names, waiting endlessly for them. On the 28th night of Ramadan, their lives were cut short.”

Rashid Khan, too, has strongly condemned the airstrike allegedly carried out by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul and has voiced his concern over the loss of civilian lives. Rashid Khan asserted that targeting residential areas, educational institutions, and hospitals constitutes a war crime. He further added, “Disregarding precious human lives during the holy month of Ramadan is a heartbreaking act. Such crimes serve only to fuel division and hatred among people.”