Taliban Say Pakistani Airstrike Killed Hundreds at Kabul's Omid Rehab Hospital; Pakistan Denies Targeting Medical Facility

The Taliban say a Pakistani military airstrike struck the Omid drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul late on Monday, killing hundreds and injuring many more. Pakistani officials deny the facility was targeted and say the strikes hit Taliban military sites and ammunition depots.

Claims and Casualties

Taliban spokespeople say the attack occurred at about 9 p.m. in Police District 9 and hit Omid, a 2,000‑bed addiction treatment centre established in a former NATO camp. Taliban officials reported that "martyrs" numbered roughly 400 and that about 250 people were injured; they warned the toll could rise as rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble.

Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Firtat on X: “The Pakistani military regime bombed a 2,000‑bed drug rehabilitation hospital called 'Omid.' Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed. Unfortunately, the number of martyrs (dead) has so far reached 400 people, and up to 250 others have been injured.”

Pakistan's Response

Pakistan rejected the allegation that it struck a medical facility, calling initial reports "false claims" and saying visible secondary detonations indicated the presence of ammunition depots. Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister, Attaullah Tarar, posted that the armed forces carried out "precision airstrikes" on the night of 16 March against what it described as terrorist‑supporting military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar, destroying technical infrastructure and ammo storage.

CBS News, which reviewed footage provided by the Taliban, said the videos showed fire and rescue operations but did not clearly display the secondary detonations Pakistan described.

Witnesses and Visuals

Video shared with international media by Taliban sources shows flames, firefighters and rescue teams carrying the injured and recovering bodies. A nearby hospital worker, Muhammad Ashraf, told CBS News he heard several gunshots followed by two loud explosions.

Afghan firefighters and Taliban security personnel work to extinguish fires after an airstrike hit the Secondary Rehabilitation Services Centre in Kabul on March 16, 2026. / Credit: Wakil KOHSAR /AFP via Getty Images

Context and International Reaction

Omid, which means "Hope," treats thousands of mostly young Afghans suffering from addiction, a significant social problem in Afghanistan. The alleged strike comes amid weeks of escalating cross‑border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began in late February, during which Pakistan has said it is conducting operations against militants it accuses of using Afghan territory as a safe haven.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed condolences to victims and stressed that international law obliges parties to protect the sick, the wounded and medical facilities. UNAMA also said it had documented dozens of civilian casualties since Feb. 26 amid the hostilities and called for an end to attacks on civilian infrastructure.

China has dispatched a special envoy to shuttle between Kabul and Islamabad in efforts to mediate a ceasefire. Both sides have denied some of the other party's accusations: Pakistan blames groups such as Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for cross‑border attacks, while the Taliban says TTP is an internal Pakistani matter.

What Remains Unclear

Independent verification of the exact targets and casualty figures remains limited. The conflicting claims from the Taliban and Pakistan, and the chaotic conditions on the ground, mean that numbers and details could change as investigations and rescue operations continue.

Update: Rescue and recovery efforts, forensic assessments and independent on‑site verification are needed to confirm the full extent of damage and casualties.