All articles tagged with #afghanistan
Pakistan says two soldiers were killed and several others wounded after the Afghan Taliban launched a large-scale retaliatory operation along the shared border, with both sides claiming heavy losses as border areas faced shelling and crossings were closed amid a fragile ceasefire.
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire along their border after Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan targeted militant camps, with each side accusing the other of initiating the clash. The fighting, centered around the Torkham and Tirah areas near the Durand Line, comes after weekend strikes and risks undermining a fragile ceasefire. Pakistan says its strikes killed dozens of militants, while Afghan officials say it was responding to cross-border fire; the UN reported civilian casualties in Nangarhar, though tolls vary and remain unverified.
Pakistan’s Senate briefing stated that the Pakistan Air Force conducted intelligence-based air strikes on February 21 against seven Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 100 militants (including a Taliban commander) and heavily damaging militant facilities in Bermal, Paktika. Officials insisted civilians were not targeted, and Pakistan has shared evidence of terrorist activity originating from Afghan soil with Afghan authorities. The minister warned Pakistan will defend itself with similar actions if attacks continue, and tied the moves to ongoing Doha discussions on dismantling sanctuaries.
Pakistan’s Senate was told that airstrikes were carried out in three Afghan provinces in retaliation for a series of militant attacks inside Pakistan, targeting terrorist hideouts and training camps with reports of over 100 militants killed; Islamabad warned it will defend itself and respond if cross-border attacks continue.
Pakistan conducted intelligence-based air strikes inside Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, claiming to hit TTP camps and killing at least 80 militants, while Kabul denied sanctuary and pledged a measured response. India condemned the strikes and signaled support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty as ties between New Delhi and the Taliban widen. Analysts warn the strikes risk driving Kabul and the TTP closer and complicating Pakistan’s security calculus, though some suggest Pakistan could pursue border reopening and greater intelligence-sharing to pressure Kabul.
Pakistan says it struck armed groups inside Afghanistan after suicide bombings, while Kabul denies that Afghan territory allowed attacks; strikes in Nangarhar and Paktika killed and wounded civilians, prompting threats of retaliation and highlighting a deteriorating border dispute as negotiations falter.
Pakistan says its military carried out intelligence-based, selective airstrikes against seven militant camps inside Afghanistan, targeting the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated groups, as well as a ISIS-linked group. Afghanistan condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty. The attacks, which hit civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika and reportedly killed civilians including women and children, come amid a spike in Pakistani militant attacks and test a fragile ceasefire between the two countries.”
Pakistan says its security forces struck militant hideouts along the Afghan border after a surge in deadly attacks, signaling ongoing cross-border action as militancy persists in the region.
Bloomberg, cited by CNN's Jim Sciutto, reports that Russia lost about 44,000 soldiers in January 2026—roughly twice the Soviet Union’s toll during its decade-long war in Afghanistan—signaling a hemorrhaging Russian force that could affect Ukraine's strategy and potential negotiations.
New Epstein files allege Prince Andrew shared confidential trade information with Jeffrey Epstein during his 2001–2011 tenure as Britain's trade envoy, including trip details to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong and a confidential briefing on Afghanistan's reconstruction investment opportunities. Emails show him forwarding official trip reports to Epstein soon after receipt. Andrew has denied wrongdoing and says he ended his friendship with Epstein; the disclosures align with ongoing scrutiny of his associations and the confidentiality obligations tied to the trade envoy role.
U.S. foreign aid to Afghanistan has largely evaporated after the 2021 withdrawal, coinciding with a surge in child malnutrition to levels not seen in 25 years, deadly earthquakes, and the return of millions of refugees. The collapse of aid has hit the economy hard and left four million children at risk of malnutrition, signaling a broad humanitarian crisis linked to US policy shifts and funding gaps.
Analysts warn that Afghanistan’s Taliban regime sheltering the TTP and Pakistan’s hardening stance could spark cross-border clashes, with airstrikes, local offensives, and stalled mediation pushing South Asia toward broader conflict. Despite mediation attempts by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia—and calls for de-escalation from China—no durable agreement to curb the TTP has emerged, raising the risk of mass displacement, regional instability, and potential spillovers to global security.
UK cross-party relief followed Trump's clarification that British troops were not kept off the frontlines in Afghanistan, with praise for the UK military though no formal apology was issued. The clarification reportedly followed King Charles' concerns, and reactions ranged from relief to calls for more careful future statements.
A Taliban-era Afghan startup is building blockchain-based tools to transform humanitarian aid, with HesabPay used in Syria to distribute funds, illustrating Afghanistan as an unlikely hub of crypto innovation despite internet skepticism.
President Trump used Truth Social to laud Britain's soldiers after backlash over comments downplaying NATO’s role in Afghanistan, emphasizing a lasting US-UK bond. The message drew swift criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince Harry, while a White House spokesperson defended Trump’s sentiment. The episode highlights continuing tensions over NATO’s two-decade Afghan involvement, set against Trump’s broader disputes with the alliance and his Greenland-related diplomacy.