Last Updated on March 17, 2026 1:57 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
A large number of patients are feared dead following an air strike on a hospital in Afghanistan that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan, as conflict between the neighbours likely to escalate war.
Bisheshwar Mishra / New Delhi
India today strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul. In a statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that this cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility can by no means be justified as a military target.
He added that Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation. He said this heinous act of aggression by Pakistan is also a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability. Mr Jaiswal said this reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its repeated attempts to externalize internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders.
The spokesperson further stated that this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible. He stressed that there is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients. He called upon the international community to hold the perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay.
India has extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and wished a swift recovery to the injured. New Delhi has expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this tragic moment. India also reiterated its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.
A large number of patients are feared dead following an air strike on a hospital in Afghanistan that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan, as conflict between the neighbours threatens to escalate into outright war.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, said in a post on X early on Tuesday that the Pakistani military “carried out an air strike” on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to treating drug addicts. “As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties,” he added.