A Taliban official confirmed to Afghan media that Pakistani fighter jets attacked five districts in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces between 10:15 PM and 10:45 PM UTC on February 21, 2026, targeting terrorist hideouts, as reported by AFIntlBrk citing afintl.com. This follows Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announcement of retaliatory airstrikes on seven camps of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), affiliates, and ISIS-Khorasan in border areas. Local sources reported a TTP hideout struck in Balisho area of Orgun district, Paktika, where a senior TTP commander resided, per MahazOfficial1, with Afghan media confirming attacks in Paktika's Argon and Barmal districts and Nangarhar's Behsud, Khogyanu, and Ghani Khelo districts resulting in multiple casualties. Explosions echoed in Kuz Bihar area of Khogyani district, Nangarhar, killing several terrorists including a key commander, according to War_Analysts. War_Analysts stated 65 Khwarij of Majlis e Askari Group (Akhter Khalil Karwan) were killed in Paktia camp airstrikes. These developments build on Pakistan's 9:25 PM UTC press statement confirming strikes on seven camps of Fitna al Khwarij, TTP affiliates, and ISKP in response to recent suicide bombings in Bannu, Islamabad, and Bajaur. No casualty figures have been officially verified by Pakistan or Afghanistan governments during this 30-minute window. The strikes continue reports of explosions and aircraft activity in Paktika and Nangarhar from earlier periods.
