Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into Pakistan’s deadly airstrike on the Omid Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kabul, saying the attack may amount to a war crime under international humanitarian law.
In a statement released more than four months after the overnight strike, Amnesty said at least 269 civilians were killed in the attack, according to TOLOnews. The organization added that it found no credible evidence to support Pakistan’s claim that the medical facility was being used to store weapons or serve any military purpose.
Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for South Asia, described the strike as a serious violation of international humanitarian law. She said the Omid Center had been widely recognized as a medical facility for more than a decade, suggesting that the attack reflected a major failure in military planning that led to a devastating loss of civilian lives.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also confirmed that 269 people were killed and more than 120 others were injured in the airstrike. Despite the high civilian death toll, no international or human rights body, including the United Nations, has launched a formal investigation into the incident.
Families of the victims continue to seek justice. Imam Jan, who lost his son in the attack, said those at the center had gone there only to receive medical treatment. He urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable.
The airstrike took place on March 17, 2026, when Pakistani warplanes bombed the Omid rehabilitation center during the night. Afghan authorities have reported that more than 400 people were killed and over 265 others were injured, while Amnesty and UNAMA have confirmed lower casualty figures based on their own investigations. The tragedy remains one of the deadliest incidents involving civilians in Afghanistan this year.
