“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,” it added.
New Delhi further accused Islamabad of attempting to misrepresent the incident, stating, “Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation.”India raises concerns over sovereignty and stability
India described the strike as “a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability”, while accusing Pakistan of a “persistent pattern of reckless behaviour”.
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Highlighting the timing, the statement noted that the attack took place during Ramzan, calling it “all the more reprehensible”.
India urged global accountability, saying, “The international community must hold the perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay.”
The statement also expressed condolences to victims’ families and reiterated India’s support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Our statement on Pakistan’s cowardly targeting of Kabul Hospital
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— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 17, 2026
Heavy casualties reported, claims Taliban
Deputy spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, Hamdullah Fitrat, said at least 400 people were killed and around 250 injured in the strike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul, as per Reuters.
He said the attack took place at 9 pm on March 16 and struck the Omid 2,000-bed hospital. “Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,” he said in a post on X.
“Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured.” Rescue operations were ongoing at the site, he added.
Pakistan denies civilian targeting
Pakistan rejected the allegations, calling them “misreporting of facts”. Its Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the strikes targeted “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and Nangarhar.
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“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” the ministry said in a post on X.
It added that claims of hitting a rehabilitation facility were aimed at “covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism,” as per Reuters.
