‘Solidarity with Afghanistan’: India sends 2.5 tonnes of medical aid to Kabul after Pakistan attacks rehabilitation center

New Delhi: India on Friday sent a consignment of 2.5 tonnes of medical supplies and equipment to Kabul, the Afghan capital, after a deadly airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center killed more than 400 people.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the shipment contained emergency medicines, disposable medical supplies, kits and equipment to support the treatment and recovery of those injured in the March 16 attack.“India stands with the people of Afghanistan and will continue to provide all possible humanitarian support at this difficult time,” the MEA said in a statement. An airstrike hit a large drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul late Monday night, reportedly destroying much of the 2,000-bed complex. Local authorities said at least 400 people were killed and nearly 250 injured. A huge explosion was heard around 9:00 pm local time and billowing smoke could be seen in the nearby Shahr-e-Naw and Wazir Akbar Khan areas. The incident comes as tensions rise on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan has carried out repeated airstrikes in Afghanistan in response to cross-border attacks by militants it says are sheltered by the Taliban government. Afghan officials, meanwhile, have described the incursions as violations of their sovereignty, with senior leaders emphasizing the responsibility of all citizens to defend the country.