Rescue teams are continuing to pull bodies from the smoking rubble of a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital, Kabul, which was hit on Monday night in a devastating Pakistani air strike. The attack on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, which happened at about 21:00 local time (16:30 GMT), is the deadliest in recent violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The strike happened as residents broke their daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The death toll has continued to rise, and the Taliban government says it believes the number of people killed is about 400, although this figure has yet to be confirmed. Many people were also injured.
Mohammad Shafee, a patient in his 20s, survived the attack. I was in the kitchen helping to serve dinner when I heard a loud bang and ran for safety, he told the BBC. When I returned later, I found most of our colleagues and people in the dining room hit. Only five of us survived.
Maiwand Hoshmand, a doctor at the facility, stated, patients had just finished dinner on Monday and some were at congregational prayer when jets hit three parts of the centre. Another survivor described the horror, saying, The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday.
It remains unclear why the hospital was attacked, with Pakistan denying any intentional targeting, stating it aimed at military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. The UN has urged restraint between the two nations amidst ongoing hostilities, which have reportedly impacted several health facilities in Afghanistan since late February. The incident highlights the challenges faced by the rehabilitation centre, previously a military compound, now housing vulnerable populations amid rising drug addiction issues in Afghanistan.
The strike happened as residents broke their daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The death toll has continued to rise, and the Taliban government says it believes the number of people killed is about 400, although this figure has yet to be confirmed. Many people were also injured.
Mohammad Shafee, a patient in his 20s, survived the attack. I was in the kitchen helping to serve dinner when I heard a loud bang and ran for safety, he told the BBC. When I returned later, I found most of our colleagues and people in the dining room hit. Only five of us survived.
Maiwand Hoshmand, a doctor at the facility, stated, patients had just finished dinner on Monday and some were at congregational prayer when jets hit three parts of the centre. Another survivor described the horror, saying, The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday.
It remains unclear why the hospital was attacked, with Pakistan denying any intentional targeting, stating it aimed at military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. The UN has urged restraint between the two nations amidst ongoing hostilities, which have reportedly impacted several health facilities in Afghanistan since late February. The incident highlights the challenges faced by the rehabilitation centre, previously a military compound, now housing vulnerable populations amid rising drug addiction issues in Afghanistan.
