SECURITY — March 20, 2026

Eyewitness Account Details Aftermath of Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul Addiction Center

An eyewitness describes crowds searching lists for relatives outside Kabul's Camp Omid addiction center, hit by a Pakistani airstrike that the Taliban say killed over 400 patients. Some 491 survivors were transferred to Camp Aghosh and about 300 injured to hospitals amid Taliban restrictions on access and media.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International2 min read

Eyewitness Account Details Aftermath of Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul Addiction Center
Image courtesy Afghanistan International

KABUL (Afghan Verified) - Rescue operations continued two days after Pakistani fighter jets struck Camp Omid, an addiction treatment center in Kabul's Pul-e Charkhi area, around 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday, 26 Hoot.

The Taliban report more than 400 patients killed and over 250 wounded in the attack.

On Wednesday, 28 Hoot, at 9 a.m., crowds gathered outside the center's closed main gate, where Taliban soldiers restricted entry. Nurses at a small side gate read aloud from lists of patients' names, allowing entry only to those who recognized a relative.

Lists posted on walls beside the gate included 491 names of survivors transferred to Camp Aghosh, a 5,000-bed addiction treatment facility also in Pul-e Charkhi. Another list named about 300 injured patients sent to hospitals.

Mostly men searched the lists for sons, brothers or fathers. An elderly illiterate woman sought help finding her brother's name, which was absent. Taliban personnel in civilian clothes questioned individuals closely, and security measures prevented use of mobile phones.

The eyewitness, who attempted entry under the pretext of reporting, was denied without identification or a patient's photo. Taliban forces have tightly controlled information flow since the attack, limiting media access to a few outlets.

Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International

Reliability assessment

Single source provides direct eyewitness account (Rakshana Media, republished) with concrete, checkable details: specific location (Pul-e Charkhi, Camp Omid, Camp Aghosh), timing (26 Hoot ~9PM, 28 Hoot 9AM), observed lists (491 survivors, ~300 injured), confirming core event of airstrike and aftermath.

The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Afghanistan International: "deadly attack" (emotional framing of the airstrike); "human catastrophe" (advocacy phrasing emphasizing the tragedy); "why don't the Taliban allow this human catastrophe to be properly reported?" (opinionated question implying deliberate suppression of information).

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SecurityPakistan airstrike, Camp Omid, Pul-e Charkhi, Kabul, Taliban

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