Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Kills 400, Taliban Says
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- Pakistan's military struck a site in Kabul on March 17, killing over 400 and injuring 265; the Afghan Taliban said the target was a drug rehabilitation center, a charge Islamabad rejected and said it had bombed a militant camp and "terrorist infrastructure."
- February 27 air strikes hit 22 Afghan military targets over 24 hours, with Pakistan's military reporting 12 Pakistani soldiers and 274 Taliban officials and militants killed.
- March 12 Chinese mediation, including a message from President Xi Jinping to cease hostilities, had helped ease tensions just five days before the deadliest strike of the conflict.
- March 13 strikes hit the fuel depot of private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport and residential areas in Kabul, killing four people and wounding more than a dozen, per the Taliban.
- October 19, 2025 ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey collapsed when October 28 peace talks failed, followed by additional failed rounds in Saudi Arabia in December.
- The United Nations mission for Afghanistan warned on March 3 that 42 civilians had been killed over six days of border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan troops.
Why it matters: The March 17 strike — the deadliest single incident since fighting resumed — comes five days after Chinese-led de-escalation efforts and despite a UN warning of 42 civilian deaths in six days. With Pakistan denying it hit a drug rehab center and four peace rounds having failed since October, the conflict has no clear off-ramp.
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