Dozens of people are feared dead or injured after an airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation center in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. The Taliban government blamed Pakistan for the strike, which occurred on Monday evening, with a government spokesman stating on X that some people were killed and others injured in the attack.

Pakistan denied striking any health facility, claiming it "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar. However, BBC journalists visited the center, parts of which were still on fire, and observed more than 30 bodies being carried out on stretchers.

Officials at the facility reported that approximately 2,000 people were being treated there, and they believe casualties could number in the hundreds. The spokesperson for Afghanistan's health ministry, Sharafat Zaman Amarkhail, told the BBC that there are no military facilities near the rehabilitation center.

Residents reported hearing loud explosions across Kabul around 20:50 local time (16:20 GMT), followed by the sound of aircraft and air defense systems. Family members of those undergoing treatment at the center gathered outside, desperately seeking information about their loved ones.

A Taliban government spokesperson claimed the death toll reached at least 400, but the BBC has not independently verified these figures. Pakistan's information ministry stated the strikes were "precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted," dismissing Afghanistan's claim as a "misreporting of facts... [that] seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism."

The area where the strike occurred was formerly a US military base and a notorious hangout for drug users. When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, they converted the space into a drug rehabilitation center, housing users rounded up from across the capital. Rescuers continued searching for survivors into Tuesday morning.

The ongoing conflict between the neighboring countries re-erupted in February, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harboring militant groups, which the Taliban government denies. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 75 people have been killed and 193 injured in Afghanistan due to continuing cross-border fighting between the countries since February 26.

This follows months of clashes, despite the two sides agreeing to a fragile ceasefire in October. China, which has attempted to cool tensions, said its foreign minister Wang Yi has spoken to his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts over the phone in the past week. Calling for a ceasefire "at the earliest opportunity," Beijing on Monday urged the two countries to "remain calm and exercise restraint [and to] engage face to face ASAP."

Source: www.bbc.com