Independent Verification Confirms Massive Casualties Following Pakistani Air Strike on Kabul Drug Rehabilitation Center

Independent reports from the Norwegian Refugee Council confirm hundreds killed in a Pakistani strike on a Kabul drug clinic. See the latest humanitarian updates.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 4:23 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from CNA

Independent Confirmation of Heavy Toll in Afghan Capital

The Norwegian Refugee Council has stepped forward as the first independent body to verify the catastrophic human cost of this week’s Pakistani air strikes in Kabul. On Wednesday, the non governmental organization reported that hundreds of individuals were either killed or wounded during the aerial bombardment of a drug treatment clinic. This confirmation aligns with earlier statements from Taliban authorities, who estimated that approximately 400 people lost their lives and over 200 were injured when the facility was struck on Monday. The report provides a grim clarification of the situation, as initial data from the conflict zone had been difficult to verify due to restricted access and conflicting official narratives.

Contradictory Claims Over Targets and Intent

The military operation, which also extended to the eastern border province of Nangarhar, was characterized by Islamabad as a necessary strike against military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. Pakistan has consistently accused the Afghan government of providing sanctuary to militants responsible for cross border attacks, justifying the strikes as a matter of national security. However, the Taliban administration has vehemently refuted these claims, asserting that the primary target was a civilian health center. The NRC's observations on the ground support the Afghan claim that a medical facility was indeed hit, directly challenging Pakistan's assertion that allegations of targeting a clinic are entirely baseless.

Devastation at the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital

Jacopo Caridi, the NRC country director for Afghanistan, described a scene of absolute devastation at the hospital site where one building was completely incinerated and leveled. NRC teams were among the first to arrive at the location to assist with emergency rescue efforts, witnessing firsthand the aftermath of the high altitude munitions. According to Caridi, the physical destruction was so severe that rescue teams were still struggling on Tuesday morning to navigate collapsed walls and reach victims trapped under the heavy debris. The level of structural damage has hampered the speed of the recovery operation, leaving many bodies entombed in the ruins of the rehabilitation center.