The ongoing military conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan has entered its deadliest phase following an overnight airstrike on a major drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. The attack, which took place on Monday, 16 March 2026, has drawn unprecedented fury from Afghanistan's sporting icons, who have used their global platforms to liken the regional violence to the world's most severe humanitarian crises. Pakistan Bombs Kabul Rehab Centre: 400 Dead, 250 Injured in Airstrike on Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital (Watch Videos).

According to the Afghan Health Ministry, the strike targeted the Omid 2,000-bed rehabilitation centre in Kabul's District 9. While the Taliban-led government claims a death toll of at least 400 civilians, Pakistani authorities have rejected these figures, maintaining that the operation "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist infrastructure" used for cross-border attacks.

Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz Lead Global Outcry

In the hours following the strike, star all-rounder Rashid Khan took to social media to label the targeting of medical infrastructure a "war crime." In a statement that has resonated across the cricket-playing world, Khan urged the United Nations to investigate the "unjust and unlawful actions" taking place during the holy month of Ramadan.

Opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was even more pointed in his criticism, drawing parallels between the current situation and the conflict in Gaza. In a widely shared post on X, Gurbaz asked, "Where is international law now? Where is humanity now? How many innocent lives must be lost before the world speaks?" His rhetoric, which compared the actions to those of Israel, reflects the deepening rift between the two neighbouring nations.

Mirwais Ashraf Tweets

Rashid Khan's X Post

Gulbadin Naib Reacts

Rahmanullah Gurbaz Reacts

Naveen ul Haq on Facebook

Source: Facebook

Background: A Series of Escalations

The strike on the Kabul hospital is the latest in a three-week surge of violence along the 2,600-km border. The conflict reignited in late February 2026 after a brief ceasefire, brokered by Qatar in late 2025, collapsed.

Relations had already soured significantly in October 2025 after Pakistani airstrikes in Paktika province killed three local cricketers, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon. That incident led the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to withdraw from a planned Tri-Nation series, a move that Rashid Khan supported by famously removing his Pakistan Super League (PSL) team’s name from his social media profiles.

The "Kabul Hospital" Controversy

The Omid hospital, located at a former US military base, was converted into a rehabilitation centre in 2021 to address Afghanistan’s domestic drug crisis. International observers have noted that while Pakistan claims the site was used as an ammunition store for the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), the presence of hundreds of patients has made the strike a significant "red line" for humanitarian agencies.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2026 07:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).