Several videos have surfaced from Kabul showing a massive fire tearing through a hospital after an alleged Pakistani airstrike late on Monday night. The facility, reportedly used for treating drug users, was seen engulfed in flames as firefighters struggled to bring the situation under control. Emergency responders, using flashlights amid the darkness, were captured pulling out casualties from the debris.
Afghanistanâs deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, in an X post, said that the strike hit the hospital at around 9 pm local time. Large sections of the 2,000-bed facility were destroyed in the attack.
Casualties mount amid ongoing conflict
Fitrat also said the death toll has âso farâ reached 400, with hundreds more injured. While initial reports mentioned around 250 injured, later estimates placed the number closer to 350. The scale of the damage and casualties makes it one of the deadliest incidents in the Afghan capital in recent years.
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The attack comes as Afghanistan and Pakistan remain locked in escalating tensions, with fighting continuing for nearly three weeks.
Conflicting claims from Kabul and Islamabad
As per a report by the Hindustan Times, Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for carrying out the airstrike, calling it a direct hit on civilian infrastructure. However, Pakistan has rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless.
A spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the operation "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban.â
Videos show chaos and rescue efforts
Footage shared by local television channels shows scenes of chaos, with flames rising from the damaged structure and emergency teams working under challenging conditions.
Watch the videos here:
🨠Pakistan has struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. pic.twitter.com/bihb0iW9i7
â Globe Observer (@_GlobeObserver) March 16, 2026
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This is not Gaza or Iran, its Afghanistan.
â Globe Observer (@_GlobeObserver) March 16, 2026
Pakistan carried out a airstrike on a rehab hospital in Kabul, killing over 200 people and injuring around 170, says fghan Health Ministry. pic.twitter.com/xMrcU9MGjN