Fact Check: Pakistan debunks Afghan Taliban’s claim of airstrike on Kabul rehab clinic

2026-03-17 - 10:04

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday debunked the Afghan Taliban’s claim that a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, calling it “false and misleading” and stating that the strikes were precisely targeted at military installations and terrorist support infrastructure. The Afghan authorities had claimed on Tuesday that around 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in Kabul—a claim widely circulated by various media outlets. However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through its fact-check unit, dismissed the allegation, stating that it was based on misinformation and manipulated content. According to the ministry, the Afghan Taliban used AI-generated clips and outdated images as part of a propaganda campaign against Pakistan. “The claim circulated by an Afghan Taliban spokesperson using an old image to allege recent casualties is a clear case of deliberate disinformation aimed at misleading public perception,” the ministry said. It added that the image presented as evidence actually dates back to May 2023 and was originally shared by the Afghan Taliban Interior Ministry at the time, exposing the falsity of the current claim. Fact Check | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting The claim circulated by Afghan Taliban spokesperson using an old image to allege recent casualties is a clear case of deliberate disinformation aimed at misleading public perception. The image being presented as... pic.twitter.com/pSHHHQGeZg — Fact Checker MoIB (@FactCheckerMoIB) March 17, 2026 The ministry further noted that recycling old visuals to support present allegations reflects a calculated attempt to fabricate a misleading narrative and create confusion about actual events. Such actions, it said, undermine credibility and demonstrate a pattern of information manipulation. Addressing the specific claim regarding Omid Hospital, the ministry clarified that the facility is located several kilometres away from Camp Phoenix—the site identified as a military installation and ammunition storage facility that was targeted. It also pointed out structural differences between the hospital and the targeted site, rejecting the claim as baseless. Fact Check | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Why Afghan official handle has deleted this post / video? The first official post which claimed that some “ drug rehab” has been hit has been deleted ! Was this generated and AI clip that could not stand the multiple... pic.twitter.com/zz4ysOF8MC — Fact Checker MoIB (@FactCheckerMoIB) March 17, 2026 “It can also be well seen 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”, the statement noted. The ministry also questioned why the original post by the Afghan side had been deleted, suggesting that the content may not have withstood scrutiny amid multiple fact-checks. Was this a generated and AI clip that could not stand the multiple fact checks being made ? Afghan Taliban walking away from their manipulated post, the ministry said. In its statement, Pakistan reiterated that on the night of March 16, it carried out precise strikes on military installations and terrorist support infrastructure in Kabul and Nangarhar. These sites, it said, included technical equipment and ammunition storage facilities used by the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Pakistani civilians. “The visible secondary detonations after the strikes clearly indicate the presence of large ammunition depots,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X. Fact Check | Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Omid Hospital being claimed to be hit by Afghan Taliban regime in the tweet is actually multiple kilometres away from Camp Phoenix, the military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage site precisely targeted last... pic.twitter.com/60hu3m2JZf — Fact Checker MoIB (@FactCheckerMoIB) March 17, 2026 The ministry further questioned why an alleged drug rehabilitation facility would be co-located with a lethal ammunition storage site in a military camp? The ministry emphasized that the operation was carefully conducted to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. It further stated that portraying targeted sites as civilian facilities was an attempt to stir public sentiment and conceal alleged support for cross-border terrorism. “The claim is rejected as false and misleading, intended to distort facts and misguide public opinion,” the statement concluded.