Pakistan Air Force jets struck a Taliban headquarters in Gardez, capital of Paktia province, and areas in Kunar province between 10:15:52 PM and 10:45:44 PM UTC on February 26, 2026, as explosions rocked Kabul's Darul Aman area and intensive bombings targeted military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, according to posts by Mohsin_o2, AnasMallick, SamiYousafzaii, aamajnews_EN and Jan_Achakzai on X. A Taliban official confirmed a military base in Darul Aman was hit by Pakistani missile or jet bomb, per SamiYousafzaii. These strikes obliterated two brigade headquarters in Kabul, one in Kandahar, and one corps headquarters in Kandahar, as part of Operation Ghazab Lil Haqq responding to Afghan Taliban offensives along the Durand Line, stated AnasMallick quoting Pakistani sources. Eyewitnesses reported the Taliban headquarters in Gardez on fire, according to Mohsin_o2 and NiohBerg on X. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja M. Asif stated forces are delivering a decisive response after Taliban aggression turned Afghanistan into an Indian proxy exporting terrorism, per his X post. Afghan Ministry of Defense announced combat operations halted at midnight by order of the Chief of Staff, as posted by EndGameWW3 citing the ministry. NOELreports on X noted both sides claimed dozens killed while rejecting each other's casualty figures, with explosions continuing in Kabul. A Kabul resident blamed the Taliban regime for provoking the airstrikes, according to AhmadSharifzad on X. These developments follow Pakistan Air Force strikes on Pul-e-Charkhi division, Paktia corps, Kandahar corps and other headquarters between 9:45 PM and 10:15 PM UTC, as reported in the previous update, with Afghan Ministry of National Defense declaring an end to its retaliatory operations claiming 55 Pakistani soldiers killed.
