More than 100 people have died after an air strike hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Monday evening, according to forensic sources cited by the BBC. Some victims were reportedly injured beyond recognition.
Taliban officials put the toll significantly higher, claiming up to 400 fatalities, though these figures have not been independently verified.
The Taliban government blamed Pakistan, saying the strike targeted civilians rather than military facilities. Pakistan denied the allegation, stating its operations “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The Afghan health ministry confirmed there were no military targets near the rehabilitation centre, which housed around 2,000 patients, mostly recovering drug users.
Residents reported hearing loud explosions around 20:50 local time (16:20 GMT), followed by aircraft and air defence activity.
The centre, formerly a US military base and later converted by the Taliban, was reduced to a blazing ruin. Families gathered outside desperately searching for information about their loved ones. Rescuers continued to search the rubble into Tuesday morning.
The strike comes amid renewed cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since 26 February, at least 75 people have been killed and 193 injured in ongoing fighting along the border, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
China has called for restraint, urging both countries to seek a ceasefire “at the earliest opportunity” and engage in face-to-face dialogue.
