A residential rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital was struck by a Pakistani military strike on Tuesday, killing at least 12 civilians and wounding 20 others, according to local officials. The United Kingdom has called for an urgent investigation and accountability, amid rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
The attack, which occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of western Kabul, flattened the facility’s main building. Survivors described scenes of chaos as rescue workers sifted through rubble in search of the missing. Among the dead were four women and two children, hospital sources confirmed.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the strike targeted a “terrorist hideout” used by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has intensified cross-border attacks on Pakistani soil. However, Afghan officials and residents insist the site was a legitimate drug rehabilitation centre run by a local charity, not a militant base.
The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a statement condemning the loss of civilian life and urging all parties to abide by international humanitarian law. “We are deeply concerned by reports of civilian casualties in Kabul,” a spokesperson said. “The UK calls for a transparent investigation and for those responsible to be held to account.”
The strike has further strained relations between Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government and Pakistan. The Taliban’s foreign ministry denounced the attack as a “violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty” and warned of consequences.
Experts point to a recent escalation in Pakistani airstrikes across the border, as Islamabad steps up its campaign against TTP militants whom it accuses of operating from Afghan soil. Since November, Pakistan has carried out several such operations, each time drawing condemnation from Kabul and warnings of a broader conflict.
For the UK, which has no official diplomatic presence in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, this incident underscores the limits of its influence. British efforts to engage the Taliban on counter-terrorism and human rights have yielded little progress. The call for accountability may thus remain aspirational, as the international community struggles to find a unified approach.
“This is a tragic reminder of the human cost of the ongoing instability,” said a senior analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London. “Without a credible mechanism for verification or recourse, such incidents are likely to recur.”
The rehabilitation centre’s destruction leaves dozens of families homeless and strips the community of critical social services. Local volunteers have set up temporary shelters, but resources are scarce.
As the sun set over Kabul, residents gathered among the ruins, mourning their dead and questioning how a place meant for healing became a target. The strike leaves both countries at a crossroads: escalation or dialogue. For now, the corpses and craters tell a grim tale of the latter.
