India on Tuesday strongly criticised Pakistan after strikes on a hospital in Afghanistan’s Kabul killed at least 400 people and injured over 250 others. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the attack as “barbaric, cowardly and unconscionable” and accused Pakistan of trying to “dress up a massacre as a military operation”.
The government also highlighted that the attack took place during the holy month of Ramzan, calling its timing even more disturbing. “There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients,” the MEA said in a statement.
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India further stated that the strike was not just an attack on civilians but also on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and regional peace. “It reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its repeated attempts to externalise internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders,” the statement added.
Attack on Kabul hospital during Ramzan sparks outrage
Calling for global action, India urged the international community to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure such incidents do not happen again. “India extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, wishes a swift recovery to those injured, and stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this tragic moment,” the MEA said.
The strike hit a 2,000-bed hospital in Kabul, which also functioned as a drug rehabilitation centre. The attack left the building in ruins, with debris scattered across the site and personal belongings of patients lying among the wreckage.
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Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and destruction. “The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday,” Ahmad, 50, was quoted as saying by Reuters. Pakistan, however, denied targeting the hospital and claimed that only military installations were hit.
The incident marks a major escalation in tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, coming weeks after Islamabad had declared an “open war” with Afghanistan.
