Afghan authorities say at least 400 people were killed and around 250 others injured after Pakistani military regime struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday night, marking a major escalation in tensions between the two neighboring countries.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the government, said that the airstrike hit Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction.

“As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties. Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured,” Fitrat said on X.

The incident comes amid intensifying conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has escalated in recent months. 

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Zabihullah Mujahid, has strongly condemned what he described as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty following an alleged airstrike that targeted a drug treatment hospital in Kabul.

In a statement, Mujahid said the facility, where patients were undergoing treatment for drug addiction, was struck, resulting in several casualties among those receiving medical care.

“Pakistan’s military regime has once again violated our country’s airspace and targeted a drug treatment hospital in Kabul, causing a number of patients under treatment to be martyred and wounded,” Mujahid said.

He described the incident as a serious breach of humanitarian principles and international norms.

“We strongly condemn this crime in the harshest terms and consider it an act that goes against all human and moral standards,” the statement added.

Mujahid emphasized that targeting a medical facility where vulnerable patients were receiving treatment represents a clear disregard for humanitarian values and internationally recognized rules protecting medical institutions.

The United Nations Security Council has approved a three-month extension of the mandate for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), shortening the mission’s usual renewal period following a call by the United States for a review of international engagement in the country.

The council voted on Monday to continue the mission’s mandate temporarily, allowing time for further discussions among members on the future role of the UN in Afghanistan.

UNAMA was established in 2002 after US-led forces removed the Islamic Emirate from power. Its mandate has typically been renewed annually, although a six-month extension was granted in 2021 following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power to assess possible adjustments to the mission.

China, which is responsible for drafting UN resolutions on Afghanistan, said the shorter extension was agreed to accommodate requests from some council members to review and potentially adjust UNAMA’s mandate before a longer renewal is considered.

The United States had called for the review last week.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz noted that UNAMA has the largest budget of any UN special political mission and said the Security Council must carefully assess the funds allocated to it.

Waltz also criticized the IEA for obstructing the mission’s work, detaining American citizens, and maintaining strict restrictions on women’s rights.

According to diplomatic sources, China initially proposed a one-year extension supported by most council members, but Washington insisted on a three-month “technical rollover” to allow time for further evaluation.

Meanwhile, the UN has warned that Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

Acting UNAMA head Georgette Gagnon recently told the council that humanitarian needs remain urgent and have worsened due to declining international funding.

Humanitarian agencies aim to assist about 17.5 million Afghans in 2026 through a $1.71 billion aid appeal, but the plan is currently only around 10 percent funded.

The UN World Food Programme estimates that more than 17 million people in Afghanistan — roughly one-third of the population — are experiencing acute food shortages, including 4.7 million facing emergency levels of hunger.

The United States, which has reduced global aid spending during President Donald Trump’s second term, has maintained sanctions on the IEA and continues to block the release of approximately $4 billion in Afghan central bank assets held in a Swiss-based trust fund.