KABUL, March 17 (Reuters) - At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug users rehabilitation hospital in the Afghanistan capital Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday.
Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and said it "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" on Monday night.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the air strike took place at 9 p.m. (1630
GMT) on Monday and targeted the Omid 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation hospital.
"Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties," he said in a post on X. "Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured."
Rescue teams were at the scene working to control the fire and recover the victims, he added.
Reuters could not verify the casualty numbers and the Pakistani military could not be reached for comment outside business hours.
The Pakistani Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the Afghan Taliban claim was "misreporting of facts".
In an overnight post on X, it said that Pakistan targeted military installations and "terrorist support infrastructure" including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against Pakistani civilians.
NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE, SAYS PAKISTAN
"Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted," the post said. "This misreporting of facts as drug rehabilitation facility seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism."
Fierce fighting between the South Asian neighbours, who were close allies earlier, erupted last month with Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.
Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that targeted civilians and launched its own attacks.
Both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on the other but independent verification has not been possible.
Islamabad says Kabul provides a safe haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying tackling militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.
The conflict had ebbed amid attempts by friendly countries, including China, to mediate and end the fighting before flaring up again.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, said he was "dismayed" by fresh reports of Pakistani air strikes and resulting civilian deaths.
"My condolences. I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals," he said in a post on X.
(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
