Kabul [Afghanistan], March 18 (ANI): Afghanistan will defend its territory if conflict is imposed on it, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Tuesday, after accusing Pakistan's military of carrying out a devastating airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul that reportedly killed more than 400 people.

Addressing Kabul-based ambassadors, diplomats, and representatives of international organisations, Muttaqi said Afghans seek peace but will respond firmly to aggression.

'The entire nation of Afghanistan is united and shares the same aspiration: it wants stability. The whole nation does not favour war. However, if war is imposed upon it, then with great courage it will prove its right to self-defence and will defend its land and its beliefs,' he said.

He said that the airstrike occurred at around 9:00 p.m. local time last night, when Pakistani military aircraft and drones targeted Kabul.

'Last night, at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time, military aircraft and drones of the Pakistani military regime conducted an attack on the peaceful city of Kabul,' Muttaqi said. 'Regrettably, as in previous incidents, civilian targets were struck,' he added.

The strike reportedly hit a drug rehabilitation centre, where individuals struggling with narcotics addiction were undergoing treatment.

Muttaqi said the victims included some of the most vulnerable members of Afghan society.

'This time, the Pakistani military specifically targeted one of the most vulnerable segments of our society - individuals who had become addicted to narcotics as a consequence of the hardships of the past two decades. These individuals were undergoing treatment through the efforts of the Afghan government and with the support of international humanitarian organizations,' he said.

Muttaqi gave preliminary figures presented which indicated that more than 408 people receiving treatment were killed, while over 265 others were injured in the attack. 'It is possible that these numbers may rise further,' he added.

Muttaqi strongly condemned the strike, accusing Pakistan's military of disregarding humanitarian and Islamic principles of warfare.

'This incident demonstrates that the Pakistani military apparatus shows no regard for Islamic or humanitarian principles of warfare and deliberately targets civilian and humanitarian facilities with complete disregard for restraint,' he said.

He noted that the attack took place during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, describing it as further evidence that the perpetrators showed no respect for human or religious values.

The Afghan foreign minister said the strike was part of a broader pattern of Pakistani military aggression, including repeated violations of Afghan airspace over the past several years.

He said Afghanistan had faced successive waves of Pakistani military actions since February, including earlier bombings that targeted seven civilian sites, including a madrasa, killing 15 people, among them women and children.

Muttaqi added that Pakistani forces had also carried out violations in provinces including Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Parwan, Kunar, Laghman, and Kandahar.

Afghan security forces, he said, responded with 'proportionate and reciprocal defensive measures' focused solely on military targets.

Muttaqi urged the international community, regional governments, and religious leaders to condemn the attack and stand against violence targeting civilians.

'It is the duty of all responsible states, organisations committed to human values, global and especially Muslim public opinion, personalities, religious scholars, media outlets, and all of humanity to raise their voices against this inhumane and oppressive act and to fulfil their responsibilities in accordance with human and Islamic solidarity,' he said.

This comes after more than 400 people have died and hundreds more were injured after a Pakistani military airstrike struck a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, Afghan officials said, according to a report by TOLO News.

The attack, which took place late at night, caused massive destruction at the facility and is being described as one of the deadliest strikes on civilians in Afghanistan in recent years. Many of the victims were patients and staff present at the centre at the time.

The incident is likely to strain already fragile ties between Kabul and Islamabad. Regional and international observers have warned of the wider implications of such attacks on efforts to maintain stability in Afghanistan, which has seen years of conflict following the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. (ANI)