India Slams Pakistan's "Cowardly" Kabul Airstrike, Demands Accountability

India urged the international community to hold the perpetrators of the criminal act accountable and extended condolences to the bereaved families and said that it stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, as per a statement by the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

The statement by the spokesperson said that India unequivocally condemns Pakistan's barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16.

"This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation", the statement said.

It called the heinous act of aggression by Pakistan a blatant assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability and said that it 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.

"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. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients", the statement added.

It urged 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 extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, wishes a swift recovery to those injured, and stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this tragic moment. We also reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan", the statement concluded.

Afghanistan said that around 400 people lost their lives in an airstrike at a treatment centre for drug addicts in Kabul on Monday evening.

Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of Taliban, said that the airstrike was carried out by Pakistan at 9 PM on Monday evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital- a 2,000-bed facility dedicated towards the treatment of drug addiction.

He said that due to the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed. With the death toll at 400 and around 250 reported injured, rescue teams in Afghanistan are working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims.

As per Tolo News, the airstrike in Kabul on Monday evening was not the first time that the Pakistani military targeted civilians in Afghanistan. Previously, it has also targeted civilians, including women and children, in different provinces of the country.

Afghan news outlet Khaama Press reported that the residents of Kabul mentioned damage to dozens of homes due to the explosions, with several buildings showing structural harm from the blasts.

Citing sources, Khaama Press said that it was a Pakistani aircraft that bombed a Taliban military facility in the Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Pakistani news outlet Samaa News reported on Tuesday, citing security sources, that Pakistani Armed Forces carried out airstrikes in Kabul and Nangarhar province, targeting facilities linked to the Taliban.

According to Samaa, sources said the strikes hit two locations in Kabul, which destroyed 'technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities'.

The security sources rejected striking the drug hospital and called the statement by Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as "ridiculous", it further reported.

As per Samaa, in Afghanistan's Nangarhar, Pakistan's forces reportedly struck four sites linked to Taliban military installations, and it claimed it also destroyed the nearby logistics hubs, ammunition depots and technical infrastructure.

According to TOLOnews, Afghan civilians have been primarily targeted by Pakistani forces during previous cross-border strikes as well. Some earlier incidents involved women and children in border provinces, which led to protests and condemnation inside Afghanistan.

The latest attack has triggered strong reactions within the country. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a sharp warning to Pakistan after the strike.

In an interview with TOLOnews, Mujahid said that "the time for diplomacy with Pakistan is over and that the attack must be avenged".

- ANI