'Panic, Bodies in Rubble': Kabul Drug Rehab Clinic In Ruins After Pakistan Strikes on Afghanistan (WATCH)

Grief and desperation gripped Kabul on Tuesday as anxious crowds swarmed outside a drug treatment centre, frantically searching for news of their loved ones after the facility was devastated in a Pakistani air strike.

Grief and desperation gripped Kabul on Tuesday as anxious crowds swarmed outside a drug treatment centre, searching for their loved ones after the facility was devastated in a Pakistani air strike. The aftermath was nothing short of harrowing. AFP journalists witnessed at least 30 bodies being pulled from the mangled debris, while overwhelmed medics scrambled to treat scores of injured survivors amid smoke, chaos, and the stench of destruction following Monday night’s strike.

Authorities from the Taliban warned that death toll could be far higher, possibly running into the hundreds.

Burnt hospital beds, scattered blankets, twisted furniture, and human remains lay strewn across the charred ruins, painting a chilling picture of the attack’s brutality.

The strike comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of sheltering Islamist militants responsible for cross-border attacks - claims the Taliban leadership has consistently rejected.

Islamabad, however, dismissed allegations that civilians were targeted, saying its forces conducted precision strikes on "military installations and terrorist support infrastructure".

Initial estimates from Afghanistan’s health ministry suggested more than 200 fatalities, with a similar number wounded. A Taliban spokesperson later escalated the figures, claiming the death toll had at least doubled, alongside 250 injured.

Targeted Chaos

Health officials revealed that nearly 3,000 patients from across the country were inside the clinic when the strikes hit, triggering panic across Kabul just after residents had broken their Ramadan fast.

Terrified civilians fled for cover as anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky around 9:00 pm.

"I heard the sound of the jet patrolling," said Omid Stanikzai, a 31-year-old security guard at the centre. “There were military units all around us. When these military units fired on the jet, the jet dropped bombs and a fire broke out.” He insisted that all casualties were civilians.

The Italian NGO Emergency confirmed receiving three bodies and treating 27 wounded at its Kabul hospital, warning that the final toll could rise significantly. Hospitals across the capital were pushed to the brink, calling in additional doctors to manage the surge of casualties.

Pakistan also confirmed strikes in Nangarhar province the same day, reiterating its stance: "Pakistan's targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted," the information ministry said.

Calls to ‘De-escalate’

United Nations Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett said he was "dismayed" by reports of civilian casualties. "I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint & respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals," he posted on X.

The UN mission in Afghanistan confirmed that at least 75 civilians have been killed since hostilities intensified on February 26.

Meanwhile, China has attempted to mediate, with its envoy spending a week pushing for a ceasefire—efforts that have so far yielded little progress.

According to South Asia expert Michael Kugelman, the conflict shows no signs of slowing.

"The Arab Gulf nations that mediated previous rounds of Afghanistan-Pakistan talks are now bogged down by their own war. Other mediators, including China, have had limited success," he said.

"Pakistan appears intent to keep hitting targets in Afghanistan, and the Taliban determined to retaliate with operations on Pakistani border posts and potentially with asymmetric tactics -- from launching drones to sponsoring militant attacks in wider Pakistan.

"There are no off-ramps in sight."

(With inputs from AFP)