Afghanistan claims 400 killed in Pakistan strikes; Islamabad denies civilian toll

Islamabad/Kabul/UN, Mar 17: Afghanistan has claimed that up to 400 people were killed and 250 injured in airstrikes allegedly carried out by Pakistan in Kabul, a charge Islamabad rejected, insisting that only militant targets were hit.

Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, on Tuesday, said the strikes, carried out on the night of March 16, hit a hospital in Kabul treating drug users, causing extensive damage and mass casualties.

He said rescue teams were continuing efforts to control fires and recover bodies from the site.

Earlier, Afghanistan’s Health Ministry had put the death toll at over 200, with figures rising as rescue operations progressed.

Pakistan, however, denied targeting any civilian infrastructure. In a statement, its Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the strikes were part of an ongoing campaign and were aimed at “terrorist support infrastructure” in Kabul and eastern Nangarhar province.

It said the targets included technical equipment and ammunition storage facilities allegedly used by the Afghan Taliban and allied groups against Pakistani civilians.

The ministry added that post-strike explosions indicated the presence of stored ammunition and dismissed claims of civilian casualties as “baseless”.

The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified.

The reported strikes, if confirmed, would mark a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries, which have repeatedly accused each other of harbouring militant groups.

Meanwhile, India criticised Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing it of spreading “fabricated” narratives on Islamophobia while engaging in actions that undermine such claims.

Addressing the UN General Assembly during a commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said Pakistan was “an excellent example of fabricating imaginative tales” about its neighbourhood.

He questioned how Pakistan’s actions, including alleged repression of minorities and airstrike campaigns during the holy month of Ramzan, could be reconciled with its claims.

Harish also accused the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation of being “systematically weaponised” against India through what he described as “false and baseless allegations”, and cautioned against the misuse of religious identity for political ends.

PTI