In a post on X, Khan said he was “deeply saddened by the latest reports of civilian casualties” resulting from the strikes. “Targeting civilian homes, educational facilities or medical infrastructure, either intentional or by mistake, is a war crime,” he wrote.

Condemning the timing of the attack during the holy month of Ramadan, he added: “The sheer disregard for human lives… is sickening and deeply concerning. It will only fuel division and hatred.”

Khan also urged global action, calling on the United Nations and human rights bodies to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable. “I stand with my Afghan people in this difficult time. We shall heal, and we will rise as a nation. We always do. Inshallah,” he said.

Former Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi also expressed grief, writing: “Tonight in Kabul, hope was extinguished at a hospital… Young men seeking treatment were killed in a bombing. Mothers waited at the gates, calling their sons’ names.”

Cricketer Ibrahim Zadran described the moment of the attack, saying: “Tonight I heard a massive explosion in Kabul. Moments later, flames rose into the sky from a hospital. Our brothers who intended to fast tomorrow are now gone or wounded. Kabul is in pain. We pray for justice.”

According to Taliban officials, at least 400 people were killed and around 250 injured in the alleged airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to treating drug addiction.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, confirmed the scale of the attack, which marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the two neighbouring countries following weeks of cross-border clashes and aerial strikes.