The Afghan government has said that “around 400” people were killed in a Pakistani strike targeting a rehabilitation centre in Kabul

The Afghan government said on Tuesday that roughly 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, marking the deadliest incident in the recent escalation of violence between the two neighbouring countries.

Hundreds more were reportedly injured when the facility was struck on Monday night, flattening buildings where patients from across the country were being treated for addictions to marijuana, amphetamines and other narcotics.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the casualty figures, though AFP journalists witnessed at least 30 bodies being recovered from the site shortly after the attack, followed by more than 65 additional bodies retrieved on Tuesday as rescuers searched through the debris.

Health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said the toll remained preliminary, noting that rescue efforts were ongoing, but estimated around 400 dead and more than 200 injured. Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani, speaking at the same briefing, reported 408 নিহত and 265 আহত.

Authorities have urged families of the victims to consent to mass burials.

In Geneva, UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan called for a prompt and independent investigation into the strike, stressing that those responsible must be held accountable under international law.

Pakistan, however, rejected the allegations. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed claims that civilian facilities were deliberately targeted as “entirely baseless,” stating that the strikes focused on military and terrorist infrastructure, including ammunition depots and equipment storage sites linked to hostile activities against Pakistan.

Later on Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Kabul did not seek conflict but would continue “proportionate and legitimate defensive measures” until what he described as violations by the other side ceased.

Tensions between the two countries have persisted for months, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan of harbouring Islamist militants responsible for cross-border attacks.

At the scene on Tuesday, charred debris—including hospital beds, chairs, blankets and human remains—littered the ruins of the rehabilitation centre. Families gathered nearby in search of missing relatives as rescue teams continued their work.

Habibullah Kabulbai, 55, who arrived at the centre looking for his brother admitted days earlier, said he had been unable to locate him. “I can’t find him,” he said, breaking down. “We are helpless. This tragedy has affected all of Afghanistan.”

Witnesses described panic across Kabul following the strike, which occurred shortly after people broke their Ramadan fast. Anti-aircraft fire was heard in response to jets overhead.

Omid Stanikzai, a security guard at the centre, said nearby military units fired at the aircraft before bombs were dropped, triggering a fire. He added that all the victims were civilians.

Pakistan said six strikes were carried out on Monday, including in the eastern province of Nangarhar, describing them as “precise, deliberate and professional.”

Humanitarian organisations voiced concern over the impact on civilians. Norwegian Refugee Council chief Jan Egeland said the attack had a “devastating impact,” stressing that civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had supplied emergency medical aid after hundreds were wounded.

According to the UN mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilians had already been killed in hostilities between February 26 and Monday, prior to the latest strike.

The UN called for an immediate ceasefire, while China—whose envoy had been attempting to mediate between the two sides—pledged to help ease tensions.

India condemned the attack as “a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence” threatening regional stability, while the European Union urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint, calling the strike a dangerous escalation.