Pakistan-Afghanistan War latest updates: 400 killed in Kabul as Islamabad launches deadly airstrikes, will U.S. President Donald Trump intervene?

At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in ​an air strike by Pakistan on a drug users rehabilitation hospital in the Afghanistan capital Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday. Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and said it "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support ‌infrastructure" on Monday ⁠night. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has time to time claimed of ending wars in different continents, has so far not made any decisive statement on the ongoing conflict.


Hamdullah ⁠Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the air strike took place at 9 p.m. (1630 GMT) on Monday and targeted the ​Omid 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation hospital.



"Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties," ​he said in a post on X. "Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured."


Rescue teams were at the scene working to control the fire and recover the ​victims, he added.


Reuters could not verify the casualty numbers and ⁠the Pakistani military ‌could not be reached for comment outside business hours.


The Pakistani Information and Broadcasting ​Ministry said the Afghan ​Taliban claim was "misreporting of facts".


In an overnight post on X, it said ⁠that Pakistan targeted military installations and "terrorist support infrastructure" including technical equipment storage and ​ammunition storage of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and Nangarhar ​that were being used against Pakistani civilians.


Fierce fighting between the South Asian neighbours, who were close allies earlier, erupted last month with Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds. Afghanistan ‌called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that targeted civilians and launched its own attacks.


Both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on the other but independent ​verification has not ​been possible.


Islamabad says Kabul ⁠provides a safe haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying tackling militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.


The conflict had ebbed amid attempts by friendly countries, including China, to mediate and end ​the fighting before flaring up again.


Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, said he was "dismayed" by fresh reports of Pakistani air strikes and resulting civilian deaths.


"My condolences. I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals," he said in a post on X.