A heavy explosion sounded in Kabul city between 9:15:49 PM and 9:45:30 PM UTC on February 26, 2026, with no details yet on its nature or location, according to ZawiaNews on X. Concurrently, Pakistan reported 72 Afghan Taliban personnel killed and over 120 injured in Operation Ghazab Lil Haqq as of 2:00 AM on February 27, 2026, per a statement from Tarar Attaullah on X. Pakistani counter-strikes destroyed 16 Afghan Taliban posts, captured 7 others, and demolished one ammunition depot, a battalion headquarters, a sector headquarters, and more than 36 tanks, artillery guns, and APCs, as stated in the official update quoted by Tarar Attaullah. Further retaliatory actions continue in response to Afghan attacks, the statement added. Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Enayat Khowarazani announced Taliban forces stopped firing at 12:00 midnight, claiming they achieved their objectives, according to taahir_khan on X citing EnayatKhowarazm. Afghan Ministry of National Defense reported capturing dozens of light and heavy weapons, ammunition, and equipment, destroying one enemy tank, and seizing a large military transport vehicle in retaliatory operations tonight, per statements from EnayatKhowarazm on X. Eight Afghan Mujahideen were martyred and 11 injured, with 13 civilians including women and children wounded in a Pakistani rocket attack on a Nangarhar refugee camp, the ministry stated. Al-Mirsad media reported a Taliban drone strike on an ISIS militant center in Surghar area of Shalman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to TOLOnews on X. Security sources reported foiling an infiltration attempt by a Fitna al-Khawarij terrorist named Abdullah near Bajaur sector, capturing him alive while crossing the Pak-Afghan border at 0210 hrs on February 27, 2026, per PTVNewsOfficial on X. These developments follow prior Pakistan Air Force airstrikes destroying a Nangarhar ammunition depot and Taliban retreats in Mohmand sector earlier on February 26, as reported in previous updates by PTVNewsOfficial and security sources.
