India Slams Pakistan’s ‘Barbaric Airstrike’ on Kabul Hospital
EAM S Jaishankar with Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (Image X.com)
MEA condemns deadly strike on Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, calls it a “cowardly massacre” and urges global accountability
By NIRENDRA DEV
New Delhi, March 17, 2026: India on Tuesday strongly condemned Pakistan’s alleged airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, calling it a “barbaric” and “cowardly” attack that killed a large number of civilians.
In a sharply worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the hospital could “by no means” be considered a legitimate military target and accused Pakistan of attempting to “dress up a massacre as a military operation.”
According to Afghan authorities, the strike took place around 9 pm local time on March 16, devastating the 2,000-bed facility and causing massive casualties. Officials said at least 400 people were killed and around 250 injured, though rescue operations are still underway.
“This heinous act of aggression is a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” the MEA said, adding that the attack reflects Pakistan’s “reckless behaviour” and its attempts to externalise internal failures.
India also highlighted the timing of the strike during the holy month of Ramzan, calling it “all the more reprehensible.”
“There is no faith, law, or morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients,” the statement said, urging the international community to hold those responsible accountable.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, with large sections of the building reduced to rubble. “Everything was burning, people were burning,” an ambulance driver told Reuters, adding that bodies were still being recovered hours after the attack.
India extended condolences to the victims’ families, wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and reiterated its “unwavering support” for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan–Pakistan Conflict Deepens After Pakistani Airstrikes
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