Pakistan strikes hit drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Taliban says

AL-Monitor
Mar 16, 2026
Smoke rises after an explosion in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib
Smoke rises after an explosion in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib — Sayed Hassib

March 16 (Reuters) - A Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing or wounding an unspecified number of people, an Afghan Taliban spokesperson said on Monday, an action that Pakistan rejected, saying it had targeted "military installations".

Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a post on social media platform X that Pakistan had targeted "military installations" and "terrorist support infrastructure" in Kabul and Nangarhar.

It said the targeted sites included facilities hosting ammunition and equipment used by Afghan Taliban militants and "Fitna al-Khawarij" fighters, a term Pakistan uses for militants.

Pakistan's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fighting betweenthe two nations erupted last month with Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds. Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty and launched its own attacks.

Militancy has been a contentious issue between the neighbouring allies-turned-foes, with Islamabad saying Kabul provides a haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying tackling militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.

(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib in Kabul, writing by Anna Peverieri in Barcelona; Editing by Nia Williams)