Kabul, Mar 17: The already-inimical relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to worsen further, with the latter bombing a hospital in Kabul and killing over 400 and wounding 265 last night.
The casualty figure is likely to increase as several injured people are said to be critical and many are still buried under the debris of the building complex which had the capacity of lodging 2,000 patients.
The hospital was a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts, according to the Afghanistan’s Taliban regime which is outraged by the Pakistani action and has vowed retaliation.
The Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital was struck at around 9 PM (Afghan time) yesterday when evening prayers were being completed by the Muslim inmates.
The building was soon engulfed by huge flames and massive piles of debris were left behind.
Witnesses said they heard three explosions. Two bombs hit rooms and other areas where patients were lodged, they said.
The Spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said today that at least 408 people were confirmed dead and 265 were injured.
The Taliban regime is outraged over the attack, with its Chief Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying the time for talks with Pakistan was over and it was now time for retaliation against the “criminal” actions of Pakistani military.
The Pakistani airstrike was evoked widespread condemnation.
India, while expressing solidarity with Afghanistan, strongly condemned Pakistani airstrike and highlighted that the “barbaric” act became “more reprehensible” considering the fact that it was carried out on Muslims during their holy month of Ramzan.
The Indian government said the international community “must hold the perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay.”
“India unequivocally condemns Pakistan’s barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
New Delhi described Pakistani attack as “a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target.”
Commenting on Islamabad’s claim that it targeted TTP militants, the Indian government said Pakistan is “now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation”.
The Indian Foreign Ministry termed “this heinous act of aggression by Pakistan” as “a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability.”
The Pakistani action reflects its “persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its repeated attempts to externalize internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders,” the statement added.
The Indian government also highlighted the extremity of the Pakistani action carried out during the Ramzan, a pious month for Muslims.
“That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients,” the statement said.
“India extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, wishes a swift recovery to those injured, and stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this tragic moment. We also reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. (NVI)
