India on Tuesday issued a strong condemnation of Pakistan after an airstrike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, killing hundreds and injuring many more. A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs called on the international community to hold those responsible accountable, expressed condolences to the victims’ families, and affirmed India’s solidarity with the Afghan people.
The MEA spokesperson described the attack as a barbaric and unjustifiable act that struck a civilian medical facility. India said the bombing could not be defended as a legitimate military operation and characterized it as a deliberate assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a threat to regional peace and stability. The statement criticized Pakistan for what it said was a pattern of reckless behaviour that externalizes internal problems through violence across its borders.
Noting that the strike occurred during the holy month of Ramzan, the MEA called the attack especially reprehensible and said there is no moral, legal, or religious justification for deliberately targeting a hospital and its patients. The statement reiterated a demand for accountability, called for an end to attacks on civilians in Afghanistan, and offered deepest condolences to the bereaved, wishes for a swift recovery to the injured, and reaffirmed support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Afghan authorities reported that about 400 people were killed in the strike at the Omid facility, which they said is a 2,000-bed treatment centre for people with drug addiction. Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, said the strike occurred around 9 pm on Monday, destroyed large parts of the hospital, and left rescue teams fighting fires and recovering bodies; he said roughly 250 people were injured.
Local media and Afghan sources described broader damage in Kabul, with residents reporting dozens of homes hit by explosions. Khaama Press cited sources saying a Pakistani aircraft also bombed a Taliban military site in Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late Monday. Tolo News recalled previous incidents in which Pakistani forces were accused of striking civilians in Afghanistan.
A Pakistani outlet, Samaa News, quoted security sources saying Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes in Kabul and Nangarhar against Taliban-linked facilities, destroying technical support infrastructure and ammunition stores. Those sources denied that the hospital was targeted and dismissed Taliban statements about the strike.
India urged the global community to respond and insisted on measures to prevent further targeting of civilians, while offering support to Afghanistan in the wake of the tragedy.
