India condemns Pakistan over Kabul hospital airstrike that killed 400, terms it 'cowardly and unconscionable act'

India has condemned Pakistan’s airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on Monday night, terming the attack “barbaric” and calling it a “cowardly and unconscionable act.” The strike killed at least 400 people and injured 250 others.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement, said, "India unequivocally condemns Pakistan's barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16."

"This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation," it added. 

The statement added that the act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and also threatens regional peace and stability.

"This heinous act of aggression by Pakistan is also a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability. It reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its repeated attempts to externalise internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders," the statement read. 

"That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients," it continued. 

"The international community must hold the perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay," the statement said. 

India also extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished a swift recovery to the injured.

"We also reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan," it said. 

Pakistan airstrike on Kabul hospital

According to officials of the Taliban-led government, the strike targeted the 2,000-bed Umid addiction treatment hospital in Kabul at around 9 pm on Monday.

Taliban Deputy spokesman Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat said that the attack caused extensive destruction across the facility.

“Pakistan's military regime bombed the 2,000-bed addicts' treatment hospital named Umid, destroying much of the hospital and raising fears of even higher casualties than estimated,” Fitrat wrote on X, adding that the number of deaths had reached around 400 while as many as 250 others were wounded.

IANS reported, citing Khaama Press, that the strike has been described by officials as one of the deadliest attacks in Kabul in recent years. 

Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, expressed concern over the reported civilian casualties and urged restraint between Kabul and Islamabad. Former Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law and urging that disputes be resolved through dialogue.
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