More than 400 people were reportedly killed after a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday evening, prompting concern from the United Nations, the European Union and international aid organisations.
The strike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a facility treating people with substance use disorders, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Pakistan, however, rejected claims it struck a hospital, saying it had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure.”
UNAMA said the strike struck a medical facility treating drug-dependent patients, adding that “civilians continue to pay the price for the ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan”.
It expressed condolences to the victims’ families and stressed that “under international law, all parties to a conflict must respect and protect the sick and wounded, medical personnel, hospitals and ambulances”.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for accountability, saying the incident “must be investigated promptly, independently and transparently,” and that “victims and their families are entitled to reparations.”
A spokesperson added that “the laws of war clearly set out that any attack must comply with the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.”
Aid organisations echoed these concerns. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said: “Hundreds of people were killed… This is unacceptable. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be a target.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the strike forms part of a wider pattern, with at least six health facilities affected since late February. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Peace is the best medicine”, urging both sides to de-escalate.
European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib described the attack as “a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law”, adding: “Health facilities must be protected, not targeted.”
The strike comes amid escalating hostilities. UNAMA said at least 76 civilians have been killed and 213 injured since late February, while displacement has affected tens of thousands across border regions.
International actors, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, are now calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German role in developing supply chains and higher-value production.
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has proposed building a new 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit in Armenia as Yerevan weighs competing international offers, its head Alexey Likhachev said on Tuesday.
Freight on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway could soon move faster across borders after Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye signed a new customs protocol aimed at cutting delays and streamlining transit.
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Saudi Arabia is facing a widening security challenge from Yemen as Houthi forces consolidate recent territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and step up attacks on the kingdom.
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