International

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Kabul, March 17: A wave of shock and outrage has swept across Afghanistan after the Taliban-led administration accused Pakistan of carrying out a devastating airstrike on a hospital in the heart of Kabul, resulting in massive casualties. The alleged attack, which reportedly took place on Monday night, is feared to have killed at least 400 people and left around 250 others injured, many of them patients receiving treatment at the facility.

The strike targeted a large 2,000-bed hospital, causing catastrophic destruction to a significant portion of the building. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Taliban administration, stated that the attack occurred around 9 PM local time. He described the incident as a grave assault on civilian infrastructure, claiming that the majority of those killed and wounded were vulnerable patients inside the hospital at the time of the explosion.

The scale of the devastation has raised serious humanitarian concerns, with emergency services struggling to respond amid the chaos and destruction. Eyewitness accounts and preliminary reports suggest that entire sections of the hospital were reduced to rubble, trapping patients and medical staff under debris. Rescue operations are ongoing, with fears that the death toll could rise further as more victims are recovered.

Pakistan has strongly denied the allegations, rejecting claims that its forces targeted any civilian or medical facility. Pakistani officials have asserted that no such operation was conducted against non-military infrastructure and have dismissed the accusations as unfounded.

The incident has sharply escalated tensions between the two neighboring countries, with calls for an independent investigation likely to grow louder in the coming days. If confirmed, the alleged strike on a hospital could constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits attacks on medical facilities and civilians.

The situation remains tense and uncertain. The international community is expected to closely monitor developments, as the tragedy in Kabul threatens to deepen regional instability and spark a broader diplomatic crisis.