Pakistan Denies Targeting Kabul Hospital in Airstrike, Labels Taliban Claims as Disinformation
Pakistan refutes Afghanistan's allegations of a deadly airstrike on a Kabul hospital, asserting that its military operations targeted terrorist infrastructure.
Pakistan has denied Afghanistan's allegations that a Pakistani airstrike on March 16 targeted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, resulting in over 400 deaths and 250 injuries. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) dismissed these claims as "false and misleading," stating that the operation precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces.
"Post strike detonation of stored ammunition being used by Master Terror Proxy also fully contradicts the fake claim," the MoIB added.
Afghan officials, including deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, reported that the airstrike destroyed large sections of the 2,000-bed facility, expressing serious concerns about a high number of casualties. Fitrat stated that rescue teams were working to control the fire and recover remaining bodies.
In response, the MoIB highlighted that the Omid Hospital is located several kilometers away from Camp Phoenix, the actual target of the airstrike, which was identified as a military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage site. The ministry questioned the co-location of a drug rehabilitation facility with a lethal ammunition storage site in a military camp.
The MoIB also accused the Afghan Taliban of disseminating deliberate disinformation by using an old image from May 2023 to allege recent casualties. The ministry emphasized that recycling outdated visuals to support present-day allegations reflects a calculated attempt to fabricate a misleading narrative and create confusion regarding actual events.
This development occurs amid escalating hostilities along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, following the launch of Operation Ghazab Lil Haq by Pakistan in response to Afghan Taliban forces firing on multiple locations. The neighboring countries have been engaged in intensified clashes since then, with both sides accusing each other of harboring militant groups and targeting civilians.
The United Nations has called on the Taliban regime to intensify efforts to combat terrorism, highlighting international concern over regional instability. Efforts by China and Turkey to mediate have yet to yield results, although China continues to encourage restraint and bilateral dialogue through diplomatic channels.