Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Rehab Center Kills Over 100, Sparks Ceasefire

KABUL, Afghanistan — An airstrike carried out by Pakistan military forces on March 16, 2026, struck the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulting in at least 143 deaths and 119 injuries, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). UNAMA expressed its deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Deadly Attack and Conflicting Casualty Counts

Taliban officials initially claimed the Pakistani airstrike killed more than 400 people and injured over 250. However, the UN’s assessment significantly lowered the death toll, highlighting the difficulty of verifying casualty figures in the ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Al Jazeera reported on the discrepancy in casualty counts.

The Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility, was largely destroyed in the attack, with rescue teams working through the night to contain fires. Wikipedia details the extent of the damage, noting that hospital officials estimated casualties to be in the hundreds, primarily patients.

Pakistan Denies Targeting Civilian Infrastructure

Pakistan maintains that its air force struck only “military and terrorist infrastructure” within Afghanistan. However, UNAMA stated that the facility was a “well-known rehabilitation center” run by the Taliban’s interior ministry. ReliefWeb also reported on the UN’s findings.

Escalation and Ceasefire

Following the strike, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid vowed retaliation. However, both Afghanistan and Pakistan announced a five-day ceasefire on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, to observe the Muslim holiday of Eid.

Underlying Tensions and Conflict

The hospital attack represents the deadliest incident in three weeks of fighting between the two countries. Pakistan accuses the Taliban regime of providing safe haven to Islamist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which carry out attacks within Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has closed borders, halted trade, and expelled millions of Afghans over the past year.

Tensions escalated last October with cross-border strikes, briefly mediated by Qatar and Turkey. Negotiations subsequently broke down. Recent militant attacks in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad, have further fueled the conflict. Pakistan alleges these attacks were supported by Taliban officials and “Indian proxies,” claims denied by both Kabul and New Delhi.

Ibrahim Bahissan, an Afghan expert with the International Crisis Group, noted that Pakistan’s rationale for the strikes is unclear. “Pakistan claims there’s a sprawling network of the TTP in Afghanistan. But we have not seen clear proof of any senior TTP bases or leaders being targeted,” he said. He also pointed out Pakistan’s tendency to link various conflicts to external powers.

Continued Suffering

Families in Kabul continue to search for loved ones affected by the attack. Witnesses described scenes of devastation at the hospital and morgues, with many unable to identify their relatives among the charred remains.