Details of Pakistani Airstrikes and Reactions.
Taliban government officials have confirmed that Kabul was targeted by Pakistani airstrikes on the evening of Tuesday, 16 March 2026.
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban government spokesperson, stated via the social media platform X that Pakistani fighter jets had violated Afghan airspace and struck a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul.
He added that several civilians receiving treatment at the center were reportedly killed or injured as a result of the attack.
Mujahid condemned the strike, describing it as “contrary to internationally accepted principles and a crime against humanity.”
Some sources reported that parts of the rehabilitation facility were completely destroyed and reduced to rubble. Fires and smoke reportedly continued to rise from the site for hours after the strike, with dozens of ambulances deployed to evacuate the wounded and transport the victims’ bodies.
Officials at the center stated that over three thousand drug patients were being treated there, and preliminary estimates suggest casualties could number in the “hundreds,” though exact figures are still unknown.
Eyewitnesses reported that around 20:50 local time, several powerful explosions were heard across Kabul, followed by the sound of aircraft overhead. Some residents described the blasts as strong enough to shake the entire city.
Videos received by local media show widespread fires in multiple areas, with thick smoke covering the Kabul skyline.
In addition to the rehabilitation center, some sources reported that the Taliban Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Defense, and areas near Marshal Fahim University were also targeted. Taliban authorities have not yet released official details regarding these claims.
The attacks have drawn reactions from Afghan political figures. Former President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the evening strikes in Kabul, describing them as attacks on residential areas and civilian facilities.
In a message on X, Karzai warned that continuing such attacks would not achieve Pakistan’s objectives, would further complicate regional stability, and ultimately harm Islamabad itself.
He also urged Pakistan to reassess its policies toward Afghanistan to ensure regional stability and to manage bilateral relations based on neighborly principles and civilized engagement.
Meanwhile, some political figures and citizens attribute the Pakistani airstrikes to the Taliban’s oppressive policies, arguing that the group’s mismanagement has caused ordinary people to bear the consequences.
