At least 400 people have been killed and around 250 injured in what the Taliban has described as a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

The attack, which occurred at approximately 9 pm local time on Monday, devastated large sections of the 2,000-bed facility, marking it as one of the deadliest single incidents in recent Afghan history.

Afghanistan's deputy government spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, confirmed that the strike targeted the drug rehabilitation centre, where many patients were undergoing treatment for addiction. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the assault in scathing terms, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting hospitals and civilian sites to perpetrate horrors.

"We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity," Mujahid stated on X, formerly Twitter. He emphasised that the Pakistani military had violated Afghan airspace to carry out the strike, resulting in the deaths and injuries of addicts in treatment.

Pakistan has categorically denied the allegations, labelling them "baseless." Information Minister Attaullah Tarar asserted that the Pakistani military conducted precision airstrikes on military installations in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar. He specified that technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations in Kabul were destroyed.

"All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by the Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies," Tarar wrote on X, framing the operation as a defensive measure against terrorism.

The hospital strike occurred mere hours after reports of intense cross-border fire along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, which killed four people on the Afghan side. This latest escalation forms part of the most deadly fighting between the neighbours in years, now entering its third week.

Tensions ignited in late February when Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory. Kabul claimed those earlier strikes had killed civilians, prompting a cycle of reprisals that has strained relations to breaking point.

The current clashes have disrupted a ceasefire brokered by Qatar last October, following previous fighting that claimed dozens of lives among soldiers, civilians, and suspected rebels. That fragile truce now appears shattered amid mutual accusations of aggression.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has escalated the rhetoric dramatically, declaring that his country is in "open war" with Afghanistan. This statement underscores the gravity of the standoff, raising fears of a broader regional conflagration.

The porous 2,640-kilometre Durand Line border has long been a flashpoint, serving as a conduit for rebels, refugees, and smuggling operations. Both sides routinely accuse each other of harbouring terrorist groups—Pakistan points to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghan soil, while Kabul alleges Pakistani support for anti-Taliban elements.

The hospital attack, if confirmed as deliberate, could provoke international outrage and calls for investigation. Humanitarian organisations have yet to access the site fully, but early reports suggest catastrophic damage to the facility, which served vulnerable populations amid Afghanistan's ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan, under Taliban rule since 2021, faces acute challenges including economic collapse, food insecurity, and a spiralling opium trade that fuels addiction epidemics. Striking a drug rehabilitation centre amplifies the tragedy, potentially undermining Pakistan's claims of precision targeting.

Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate appear stalled. Qatar, previously instrumental in ceasefire talks, has not yet commented on the latest developments. Regional powers like China, Iran, and India watch closely, concerned about spillover effects on stability in South and Central Asia.

Pakistan's military has intensified operations against TTP rebels, whom it blames for a surge in attacks within its borders—over 900 fatalities in 2025 alone, according to official figures. Islamabad views the Taliban government's reluctance to dismantle TTP safe havens as a direct threat to its security.

Conversely, the Taliban insists it does not shelter anti-Pakistan rebels and accuses Islamabad of using airstrikes to destabilise its regime. Border skirmishes have displaced thousands and disrupted trade routes vital to both economies.

As casualty figures mount, the international community faces pressure to intervene. The United Nations has urged restraint, but enforcement mechanisms remain weak. Analysts warn that without third-party mediation, the conflict risks drawing in proxy actors and exacerbating Afghanistan's isolation.

The coming days will be critical. Will Pakistan provide evidence substantiating its precision-strike claims? Can the Taliban secure accountability for civilian deaths? For now, grief engulfs Kabul, where the ruins of a hospital stand as a grim symbol of fraying neighbourly ties.

ANI