New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has expressed deep grief and condemnation after a Pakistani airstrike on a major addiction treatment hospital in Kabul killed more than 400 people and injured at least 250 others, Taliban officials and local media reported, in what could become one of the deadliest incidents in the Afghan capital.

“Eid Hopes Turned Into Mourning. Afghanistan Cricket Board’s leadership, along with the #AfghanAtalan lineup and staff, strongly condemns all acts of violence against innocent people. We stand in solidarity with the affected families and our people during this difficult time. What should have been moments of joy and celebration have instead turned into grief and heartbreak. Lives that were looking forward to Eid, to healing, and to a brighter tomorrow were tragically cut short, leaving behind shattered dreams and grieving families,” the ACB penned on X.

Condemning the airstrike, the ACB added, “The Pakistani regime’s devastating attack on a rehabilitation facility, resulting in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and injuries to countless others, has deeply saddened us all. The occurrence of such a tragedy during Ramadan makes the pain even more profound.”

The board concluded by offering prayers for the victims and their families, stating, “We ask the Almighty Allah to grant the victims the highest ranks in Jannah and bless their families with patience, strength, and peace. Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return.”

Earlier, Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan condemned the reported civilian casualties from recent airstrikes, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure a “war crime” and urging international bodies to investigate the incident.

In a post on X, the Afghan cricketer expressed deep sorrow over reports that civilians were killed in the strikes, which local officials say hit a major addiction treatment hospital in the Afghan capital.

“I am deeply saddened by the latest reports of civilian casualties as a result of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul. Targeting civilian homes, educational facilities or medical infrastructure, either intentional or by mistake, is a war crime. The sheer disregard for human lives, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is sickening and deeply concerning. It will only fuel division and hatred. I call upon the UN and other human rights agencies to thoroughly investigate this latest atrocity and hold the perpetrators to account. 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 wrote.

–IANS

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