UN says at least 269 were killed in Pakistan strike on Kabul rehab centre

A United Nations report released Tuesday has confirmed that at least 269 people were killed when a Pakistani airstrike hit the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul on 16 March, with UN officials stating the true death toll is likely significantly higher.

The Details

The UN findings, released Tuesday, document one of the deadliest single incidents in the region in recent years. BBC reporting and United Nations access to the site established that the facility was a civilian drug rehabilitation centre that had operated for about a decade. People inside were undergoing treatment when the strike occurred.

Pakistan denies that it targeted a civilian facility. In a statement sent to the BBC, the Pakistan military said that "no hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted," and that the strikes instead hit military and terrorist infrastructure. A Pakistani military spokesman separately suggested the centre was most likely a suicide bomber training facility.

The Taliban government has publicly claimed the death toll surpassed 400. The UN confirmed 269 deaths and stated the real figure may be higher, but it did not verify the Taliban's specific figure. Reuters reported on 16 March, the day of the attack, that Pakistani strikes had hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, reflecting immediate Taliban allegations. Al Jazeera later reported that the UN had revised the Kabul rehab strike death toll while Pakistan continued to deny targeting civilians.

Among the victims was 24-year-old Mirwais. His sister, Masooda, described the aftermath to the BBC: "My brother's body was in pieces. There was barely anything left of him to give us."

Context

The Omid centre is located in a former Camp Phoenix compound and opened in 2016 after US and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan. The BBC has previously reported on the facility, which was publicly known.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded accusations for months. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul denies the allegation. Tensions between the two neighbours have escalated repeatedly over cross-border violence claims.

UN human rights officials and Human Rights Watch, as quoted by the BBC, have said the strike on the rehab centre should be investigated as an unlawful attack and possible war crime. The Reuters news agency reported on 16 March that Pakistani strikes had hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, reflecting immediate Taliban allegations from the day of the attack. Al Jazeera later reported that the UN had revised the Kabul rehab strike death toll while Pakistan continued to deny targeting civilians.

What's Next

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Taliban government, called for an international investigation and accountability. "Targeting innocent civilians is a war crime," he told the BBC. "International organisations should investigate the incident and prosecute those responsible accordingly." The UN and Human Rights Watch have both called for the strike to be investigated as an unlawful attack and possible war crime, though no formal international investigation has been announced. Pakistan maintains that its strikes hit legitimate military and terrorist targets and has not indicated any intention to conduct an independent review.