Airstrike Hits Kabul Drug Rehabilitation Hospital, Killing at Least 400, Afghan Officials Say

A Pakistani airstrike struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul overnight on March 16-17, 2026, killing at least 400 people and wounding around 250 others, mostly patients under treatment, according to Taliban and Islamic Emirate officials.

Spokesmen including Abdul Matin Qane of the Interior Ministry, Hamidullah Fitrat and Zabihullah Mujahid described the attack on the Omid or Umid hospital in Kabul's Pol-e Charkhi area or ninth security district as a crime violating humanitarian principles. Qane warned of a "crushing response" from Afghanistan, while rescue efforts continued amid concerns over bodies under rubble.

Pakistan denied targeting the hospital, with officials stating the strike hit ammunition depots nearby and accusing the Taliban of setting the facility ablaze themselves, a claim denied by Taliban spokesmen. Sources reported strikes also hit a Taliban munitions depot in Kabul's eighth district, with fires burning for hours.

The incident occurred on the 20th day of border clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters. A UN monitoring group reported about 6,000 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters in Afghanistan, despite Taliban denials. The United Nations previously noted 73 civilian deaths and 193 wounded in the clashes' first two weeks.

India's Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as "barbaric" and a violation of Afghan sovereignty, calling for international accountability. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett expressed concern over civilian deaths and urged de-escalation and respect for international law.

Afghan politicians and figures including former ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Rahmatullah Nabil strongly denounced the attack as savage and a war crime, demanding investigations and diplomatic solutions. The Afghanistan Cricket Board also condemned the strike as a great human tragedy.