Afghanistan-Pakistan War LIVE: Death toll in Kabul hospital strike climbs to 400, Pakistan denies targeting civilians

Afghanistan-Pakistan War LIVE: The conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan war entered third week as the former accused the latter of launching an air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. As the two nations engage in the deadliest fight in years, the death toll in the recent hospital strike has risen to 400.

Pakistan alleged that it only targeted military installations in Kabul and the province of Nangahar on Monday as it dismissed the claim as “false and aimed at misleading public opinion”.

Is there a war between Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Tensions between the two neighbouring nations escalated last month when Pakistan launched air strikes in Afghanistan's Kabul and Kandahar on 27 February and declared “open war.” According to Islamabad, this major attack was in response to wave of attacks of Afghan forces on its border troops. Afghanistan launched its own attacks in retaliation as it termed these air strikes a violation of its sovereignty.

In the past, Pakistan accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing safe haven to terrorist groups who frequently target Pakistani security forces and civilians. Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch separatist groups are among the terrorist groups that Pakistan considers as a threat.

What happened at the Kabul hospital?

The deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, Hamdullah Fitrat, in a post on X said that the attack on Kabul’s Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital took place at about 9pm local time (16:30 GMT).

Describing the extent of damage to the 2,000-bed facility hospital and the loss of lives, he said, “Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured. Rescue teams are currently at the scene, working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims." In this air strike, large sections of the building were damaged.

A security guard at the hospital informed AFP that he had the sound of jets in the sky before the attack. The 31-year-old eyewitness said, “There were military units all around us. When these military units fired on the jet, the jet dropped bombs and a fire broke out."