SECURITY — March 27, 2026
Families Search Coffins at Taliban Mass Funerals for Kabul Drug Rehab Center Airstrike Victims
Families in Kabul are searching coffins at Taliban-organized mass funerals for victims of a Pakistani airstrike on the Hope Camp drug rehab center, where the Taliban claims 411 deaths but the UN confirms 143. Pakistan denies hitting the center, citing nearby military targets, amid reports of missing and unidentified bodies.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International — 2 min read
KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- Families gathered at mass funerals organized by the Taliban at Kabul's Eidgah Mosque are searching through coffins in hopes of identifying loved ones killed in a Pakistani airstrike on the Hope Camp drug rehabilitation center on 26 Hoot.
The Taliban reports 411 deaths from the strike, which caused a massive explosion and fire at the facility also known as Phoenix Camp. The United Nations has confirmed 143 deaths. Pakistan denies striking the drug rehab center, claiming its fighter jets targeted a nearby weapons depot and Taliban drone operations center, and accuses the Taliban of placing military facilities adjacent to civilian sites.
Taliban Ministry of Public Health spokesman Sharaf Zaman confirmed that bodies of some victims remain missing, with families inquiring about their relatives. The Norwegian Refugee Council, which visited the site, reported that the explosion tore many bodies apart, complicating identification efforts. Around 100 bodies were buried in a mass grave in Kabul, with dozens still unidentified.
Among the families searching were Abdul Hai Hamidi looking for his 30-year-old relative Samiullah, Samira Mohammadi seeking her 20-year-old son Aref, and Burhanuddin Kamali searching for 21-year-old Mohammad Isa. Pakistan has not responded to a United Nations request for an independent investigation into the incident, and a temporary ceasefire has ended.
Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International →
Reliability assessment
Single outlet but with strong direct attributions: named Taliban spokesman Sharaf Zaman on burials/missing bodies; UN confirmation of 143 deaths; AFP eyewitness quotes with names/ages; Norwegian Refugee Council site visit; Pakistani officials' denial. Core event of airstrike on Kabul camp and mass casualties/burials corroborated by multiple concrete, checkable details despite discrepancies.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Afghanistan International: "doubled the families' pain" (emotional framing of victims' suffering); "glaring difference" (value judgment highlighting discrepancy in casualty figures); "the pain is different" (advocacy phrasing emphasizing unique emotional toll of missing persons).
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
- Afghans hold second mass funeral for victims of an airstrike on Kabul | World | the-messenger.comthe-messenger.com
The spokesman said many people remain missing. He said hundreds of people were still going to Kabul’s forensic department seeking news of their loved ones who had been in the Omid treatment center, as their relatives are not listed among the confirmed dead or the wounded.
- Afghans hold second mass funeral for victims of an airstrike on Kabul - myMotherLode.commymotherlode.com
The spokesman said many people remain missing. He said hundreds of people were still going to Kabul’s forensic department seeking news of their loved ones who had been in the Omid treatment center, as their relatives are not listed among the confirmed dead or the wounded.
Across the newsrooms
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Afghanistan International
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Security — Hope Camp, Pakistan airstrike, Taliban, Kabul, Phoenix Camp
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