Information ministry rubbishes Afghan Taliban’s claims of hospital being hit in Kabul

Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed claims made by the Afghan Taliban that its armed forces allegedly struck a hospital in Kabul, stating that the target was “Camp Phoenix”, which is several kilometres away from the hospital.

The development comes amid the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Earlier on Monday, the government said that Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar overnight.

A fact check posted by the information ministry on X said that Omid Hospital, which the Afghan Taliban claimed had been hit, was “actually multiple kilometres away from Camp Phoenix, the military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage site precisely targeted last night”.

Sharing satellite imagery, the ministry said that the “actual hospital is a multi-storied structure as compared to the military/terrorist infrastructure actually targeted, whose image is also attached; the difference and lie is clear to see”.

Dismissing the claims, it also questioned why an alleged drug rehabilitation facility would be “co-located with [a] lethal ammunition storage site in a military camp”.

“This also remains unanswered,” it added.

In a separate post, the ministry presented further information, asking why the “official handle” of the Afghan Taliban had deleted a post in which it was claimed that a “drug rehab” had been hit.

“Was this [a generative] AI clip that could not stand the multiple fact checks being made? Afghan Taliban walking away from their manipulated post,” it said.

In another post, the ministry debunked an image used by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, which he had used as “evidence” of the incident.

“The image being presented as evidence of a recent incident is, in fact, from May 2023 and was originally shared by the Afghan Taliban interior ministry at that time, exposing the falsehood of the current claim,” the information ministry said.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also rejected the claim, alleging that the Afghan Taliban regime was “peddling yet another falsehood” by making such claims.

“This claim is entirely baseless,” he asserted, maintaining that Pakistan was only engaging “military and terrorist targets, along with the infrastructure of the Afghan Taliban regime, that are being directly or indirectly used to plan, facilitate, shelter, train, or abet terrorist attacks inside Pakistan”.

The minister said that strikes carried out on Monday night in Kabul and Nangarhar were “precise, deliberate, and professional”.

“No hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted,” he emphasised.

“The targets were military and terrorist infrastructure, including ammunition and technical equipment storage sites and other installations linked to hostile activity against Pakistan,” he said.

Tarar also added that video footage of “all six strikes” carried out was put out by the information ministry, “making the nature of the targets plain for all to see”.

“The visuals leave no room for doubt. The flames and secondary detonations witnessed in Kabul further confirm that the intended ammunition storage site was hit with precision,” the information minister said.

He said that the “latest allegation” was part of the Afghan Taliban’s “same worn-out pattern of deceit”.

Tarar said that Pakistan and the wider world “continue to face the grave threat of terrorism emanating from territory under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime”. He stressed that the “threat” has become more “barbaric”.

“Pakistan’s position is clear. We will continue to take every necessary measure to defend our citizens, degrade terrorist capability, and deny safe haven to those who wage terror against Pakistan from across the border,” the minister concluded.

China calls for restraint

Meanwhile, China expressed hope that Afghanistan and Pakistan will stay calm and exercise restraint, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, as per Reuters.

China has urged the neighbours to ensure the safety of its personnel and will keep up a constructive role in promoting de-escalation, Lin added.

A day earlier, China reiterated its offer to continue efforts to ease ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“The most urgent task is to avoid the expansion of the war and return the two countries to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” Lin said on Monday.

“China is willing to continue to make efforts to achieve reconciliation and ease relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Beijing has been mediating between both sides in recent days.

Operation Ghazab lil-Haq continues

Earlier, security sources said that the Pakistan armed forces targeted and destroyed Afghan Taliban military posts adjacent to the Khyber sector, using “anti-tank guided missiles”.

Security sources added that the Afghan Taliban have “suffered casualties and financial loss due to the ongoing operation”.

In a separate update, security sources said that the military has also destroyed the Afghan Taliban’s “Jhanda post” in North Waziristan.

In a post on X earlier in the day, Tarar said the armed forces “successfully carried out precision airstrikes” as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting “Afghan Taliban regime terrorism-sponsoring military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar”.

“All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies, including Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan, as can be clearly seen in accompanied footage,” Tarar stated, sharing a video of the said strikes.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al Hindustan is a term designated by the state for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan.

“False claims made by the propagandists Taliban regime cannot befool the Afghans and the world from their heinous actions supporting and sponsoring terrorism in the region,” he asserted.