KABUL, Afghanistan — 17 March 2026 —
Dozens of people are feared dead or injured after an air strike hit a drug treatment facility in Kabul on Monday, according to Afghan officials who blamed the attack on Pakistan’s military. Independent confirmation of the death toll remains difficult, and both governments have released conflicting accounts of what happened.
Taliban authorities said the strike occurred in the early afternoon in the Khair Khana area of the capital, where the centre was operating out of a former government building. Health officials said many of the victims were patients receiving addiction treatment, along with several staff members. Emergency responders reported that the blast caused part of the structure to collapse, trapping people inside.
A spokesperson for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry said initial assessments suggested “a significant number of casualties,” though exact figures were still being verified. He accused Pakistan of carrying out the strike, calling it “an unacceptable violation of Afghan sovereignty.” The Taliban government said it would raise the issue through diplomatic channels and demanded an immediate explanation.
Pakistan’s government did not immediately confirm or deny involvement. A brief statement from Islamabad said officials were “reviewing reports” and urged caution until more information was available. Pakistan has previously conducted cross‑border operations targeting militant groups it says operate from Afghan territory, though such actions have repeatedly heightened tensions between the neighbours.
Witnesses described a loud explosion followed by smoke rising over the district. “We heard a huge blast, and people started running,” said a shopkeeper who lives nearby. “Ambulances kept coming for more than an hour.”
Drug addiction has surged in Afghanistan in recent years, driven by widespread unemployment, trauma from decades of conflict, and the availability of cheap narcotics. Treatment centres, many of them under‑resourced, have struggled to cope with rising demand. The facility struck on Monday was one of the few operating in Kabul with capacity for large‑scale rehabilitation programmes.
International humanitarian organisations expressed concern about the incident and called for an impartial investigation. A representative for a Kabul‑based medical NGO said the attack “underscores the vulnerability of civilians and essential health services amid ongoing regional tensions.”
As of late Monday, rescue teams were still searching the rubble for survivors. Taliban officials said they would release updated casualty figures once identification efforts were complete.
The situation remains fluid, and both regional analysts and aid groups warn that further escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan could complicate an already fragile security environment.
