India on Tuesday condemned Pakistan for its brutal airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, which killed hundreds and injured many others. It said Islamabad was attempting to portray a mass killing as a legitimate military operation.
New Delhi called on the international community to ensure those responsible are held accountable, expressed condolences to the victims’ families, and reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs’ Official Spokesperson.
The spokesperson’s statement declared that India strongly condemns Pakistan’s brutal airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16.
“This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation,” the statement read.
It described the attack as a blatant violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability, highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing pattern of reckless conduct and its repeated efforts to shift internal problems outward through increasingly desperate acts of cross-border violence.
“That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients”, the statement noted.
India called on to put an immediate end to Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of civilians in Afghanistan, further expressing sympathy for the families affected, offered hopes for the speedy recovery of the injured, and affirmed its solidarity with the people of Afghanistan during this tragic period.
The statement also reiterated India’s continued support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
400 people killed in airstrike in Kabul, says Afghan authorities
According to Afghan authorities, approximately 400 people were killed in the airstrike on Monday evening at the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, a 2,000-bed facility for drug rehabilitation. Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban, reported that large portions of the hospital were destroyed, with around 250 people injured, while rescue teams continue to control fires and recover victims’ bodies.
Tolo News noted that this was not the first time Pakistan’s military has targeted Afghan civilians, with previous attacks affecting women and children across various provinces.
Afghan media outlet Khaama Press reported that Kabul residents observed damage to dozens of homes from the explosions, with several buildings suffering structural harm. Sources cited by Khaama Press indicated that a Pakistani aircraft targeted a Taliban military facility in the Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late Monday evening.
Meanwhile, Samaa News in Pakistan, citing security officials, confirmed that the Pakistani Armed Forces conducted airstrikes in Kabul and Nangarhar, targeting Taliban-linked facilities. According to Samaa, two sites in Kabul were struck, destroying technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage, and officials denied hitting the drug treatment hospital, calling claims by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid “ridiculous.”
In Nangarhar, the strikes reportedly hit four Taliban military sites, including logistics hubs, ammunition depots, and technical facilities. TOLOnews noted that Afghan civilians have often been caught in previous Pakistani cross-border attacks, with women and children affected in border provinces, sparking protests and condemnation in Afghanistan.
The latest strike has drawn strong reactions domestically, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issuing a stern warning to Pakistan. Mujahid told TOLOnews that “the time for diplomacy with Pakistan is over and that the attack must be avenged”.
