New Delhi: India on Tuesday strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on Monday, describing it as a barbaric act that caused heavy civilian casualties.
In an official statement, the External Affairs Ministry said the attack targeted a facility that could not be justified as a military objective and termed the action a massacre, being portrayed as a military operation.
India said the strike amounted to a serious violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and posed a threat to regional peace and stability. It added that the incident reflected a pattern of reckless behaviour and attempts to shift internal challenges through actions beyond its borders.
The statement noted that the attack took place during the holy month of Ramzan, which holds significance as a period of peace and reflection in the Muslim world. It said no justification could be found for targeting a hospital and its patients.
India urged the international community to hold those responsible accountable and called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians in Afghanistan.
It also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. The government said India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and reaffirmed its support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A Taliban spokesperson said on Tuesday that more than 350 people were killed and around 250 were injured in a Pakistani airstrike on the hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said the airstrike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction, at 9 pm local time.
“As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties. Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured. Rescue teams are currently at the scene working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims,” he said in a post on X.
He added: “We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity.”
Zabihullah Mujahid, Afghan government spokesperson, also condemned the incident.
“The Pakistani military regime has once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace and targeted a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, resulting in the death and injury of addicts who were undergoing treatment. We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity,” he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi rejected allegations that Pakistan targeted a hospital in Kabul, calling the claims baseless, CNN reported.
In a statement posted on X before Afghan authorities released casualty figures, the Pakistan Ministry of Information said the strikes targeted military installations and infrastructure linked to militant activity. It said sites in Kabul and Nangarhar, allegedly used by Afghan Taliban elements and Pakistan-based militants, were hit, including facilities used for storing technical equipment and ammunition.
The ministry stated that the operation was precise and carefully executed to avoid civilian casualties. It also rejected statements by Zabihullah Mujahid as false and misleading, alleging they were intended to provoke sentiment and deflect from what it described as support for cross-border militancy.
The strikes came hours after the UN Security Council urged Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to step up efforts to combat terrorism. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of harbouring militant groups, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, which it says are responsible for attacks inside its territory.
