Pakistan Air Strike on Kabul Kills 400, Per Afghan Government
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- Pakistan's Monday air strike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, according to the Afghan Taliban government, which reported at least 408 people killed and 265 injured; Pakistan rejected the toll, saying the strike targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure with no collateral damage and has not verified the casualty numbers.
- Afghanistan and Pakistan have been engaged in their worst fighting in years since clashes erupted last month, exchanging air strikes, drone strikes, and ground fire across their 2,600-km border over the past three weeks, with each side claiming to have killed hundreds of opposition troops without providing evidence.
- Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring leaders and fighters of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and armed insurgents seeking independence for Balochistan; the Taliban deny the allegations, calling militancy inside Pakistan an internal Pakistani problem.
- An October ceasefire between the two sides was brokered by Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia after similar border clashes, but no negotiations are underway this round — despite the Afghan Taliban's stated willingness to talk and despite public calls for diplomacy from China, Turkey, and Russia.
- China, which maintains close ties with both governments, urged "dialogue and negotiation" on Tuesday and said it will continue to play a "constructive role" in de-escalation, raising the prospect of a new mediation track if Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot reopen talks bilaterally.
Why it matters: The gap between Afghanistan's 408-civilian claim and Pakistan's outright denial of collateral damage makes independent verification — and credible third-party mediation — urgent, especially as China, Turkey, and Russia are all publicly pressing for talks. With no negotiations underway and both sides exchanging air and drone strikes across a 2,600-km frontier, the conflict risks widening beyond a bilateral skirmish into a broader regional crisis.
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