India has strongly condemned the recent airstrike on a hospital in Kabul, blaming Pakistan and describing the attack as “cowardly” and “barbaric,” amid rising tensions in the region.
The strike reportedly hit a major drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on March 16, killing around 400 people and injuring over 250 others, according to Afghan authorities. Large portions of the 2,000-bed facility were destroyed in the attack, with most of the victims said to be civilians undergoing treatment.
Reacting to the incident, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the attack was an unjustifiable act of violence against civilians, calling it a “massacre dressed as a military operation.”
India also expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and stressed that targeting civilian infrastructure such as hospitals is unacceptable and a violation of international norms.
The airstrike comes amid escalating hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have intensified since late February, with repeated cross-border clashes and military actions.
While Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for the attack, Islamabad has denied targeting civilian sites, maintaining that its strikes were aimed only at militant infrastructure.
The incident has triggered global concern, with international calls for restraint and adherence to humanitarian laws, as fears grow over further escalation in the region.