Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released an official press statement at approximately 9:25 PM UTC on February 21, 2026, confirming that its forces conducted intelligence-based airstrikes targeting seven terrorist camps and hideouts of Fitna al Khwarij (FAK), Pakistani Taliban affiliates, and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. The strikes responded to recent suicide bombings in Pakistan, including one in Bannu today during Ramzan. The statement detailed conclusive evidence linking the bombings in Islamabad's Imam Bargah, Bajaur, and Bannu to Afghanistan-based handlers, despite Pakistan's repeated urgings to the Afghan Taliban regime to deny its territory to terrorists, as posted by @MoIB_Official. Pakistan emphasized citizen safety as its top priority and described the operations as precise retributive actions. The release urged the Afghan government to fulfill Doha Agreement commitments and called on the international community to intervene. This official confirmation, shared during the 9:45 PM to 10:15 PM UTC window via @MoIB_Official and @MCIAZayyan, aligns with local reports of explosions and aircraft activity in Paktika from prior periods, including visuals uploaded by @SempreVinta11. Pakistan reiterated expectations for the Taliban to act against terrorists using Afghan soil against Pakistan. The strikes follow unverified reports of earlier explosions in Paktika's Margha and Urgun areas and Nangarhar's Khugiani area between 8:15 PM and 9:45 PM UTC, as noted by @zarrar_11PK, @khorasandiary, and @Irves_Watch in previous windows. No official response from Afghanistan has been reported in this period.
