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Taliban unleash ‘extensive’ offensive on Pakistan as deadly border strikes erupt
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Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged significant cross-border fire Thursday in an escalation of hostilities along their shared border, according to multiple reports.
The clashes came after the Taliban said it launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military positions, while Islamabad said it was responding to unprovoked fire in the area.
Reuters reported that both forces clashed for more than two hours along their roughly 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) border, threatening a ceasefire that had been agreed to in 2025 after fighting.
Thursday’s flare-up came after Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week, with Taliban officials saying the strikes killed at least 18 people, Reuters reported Feb. 24.
Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces. (Reuters/Stringer/File Photo)
Pakistan said it targeted militant hideouts and rejected claims that civilians were targeted.
The Taliban described an «extensive» military operation against Pakistani army positions in response to the strikes.
«In response to repeated provocations, extensive preemptive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line,» Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X.
In a separate statement, he said «specialized laser units» were operating at night.
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Pakistani and Afghan forces clash after days of hostilities. (Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense/Handout via Reuters )
Taliban military spokesman Mawlawi Wahidullah Mohammadi also said in a video shared with Reuters that the «retaliatory operation» began Thursday evening.
Mujahid said «numerous» Pakistani soldiers had been killed and some were also captured. Reuters said it could not independently verify those claims.
In another post on X, Mujahid said, «The cowardly Pakistani army has bombed some places in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Praise be to God, no one was harmed.»
Pakistan has since rejected the Taliban’s account.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on X that the Afghanistan Taliban’s «unprovoked action along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border» was given an «immediate and effective response.»
The ministry said Taliban forces had «miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations» along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The post said the fire was being met with an «immediate and effective response by Pakistan’s security forces.»
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Members of the Taliban sit on a military vehicle during a Taliban military parade in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Reuters/Ali Khara)
«Early reports confirm heavy casualties on the Afghan side with multiple posts and equipment destroyed,» the ministry said.
«Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens.»
Pakistani security sources also told Reuters that 22 Taliban personnel had been killed, and several quadcopters were shot down.
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The fighting follows Pakistan’s accusations that the Taliban is sheltering TTP militants behind a surge in violence and suicide attacks.
The Afghan Taliban denies the claim. A day before February’s strikes, Pakistani officials said they had «irrefutable evidence» that militants were launching attacks from Afghan soil, Reuters reported.
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INTERNACIONAL
Rusia afirma haber derribado casi 150 drones ucranianos en 12 horas, 17 de ellos rumbo a Moscú
Las defensas antiaéreas de Rusia aseguraron haber derribado 148 drones ucranianos de ala fija en el transcurso de doce horas, entre la noche del jueves y la mañana de este viernes, incluidos 17 aparatos que se dirigían hacia la capital, Moscú, según informó el Ministerio de Defensa de Rusia.
De acuerdo con dos comunicados difundidos en Telegram, 53 drones fueron abatidos durante la noche del jueves sobre diez regiones del país, entre ellos doce en la región de Moscú.
Horas más tarde, las fuerzas rusas informaron la destrucción de otros 95 drones en once regiones adicionales y sobre los mares Negro y de Azov, incluidos cinco que volaban hacia la capital.
En paralelo, el alcalde de Moscú, Serguéi Sobianin, había informado el jueves por la tarde que las fuerzas militares derribaron 27 drones en poco más de seis horas en zonas cercanas a la ciudad.
La escalada obligó a cerrar de manera temporal los cuatro aeropuertos moscovitas -Sheremétievo, Domodédovo, Vnúkovo y Zhukovski-, que reanudaron sus operaciones una vez levantada la alerta por nuevos ataques. Sin embargo, al menos diez vuelos fueron desviados y debieron aterrizar en la ciudad de Nizhni Nóvgorod.
Ucrania y Rusia mantienen a diario ataques cruzados con drones y misiles contra infraestructura estratégica, en una estrategia de desgaste destinada a debilitar las capacidades del adversario.
En ese contexto, la región fronteriza de Bélgorod, una de las más castigadas por los ataques ucranianos, sufrió durante la noche un ataque masivo con drones y misiles, informó su gobernador, Viacheslav Gladkov.
Aunque no se registraron víctimas, los bombardeos provocaron graves daños en el sistema energético, dejando a más de 60.000 usuarios sin electricidad, agua ni calefacción, según las autoridades locales.
En paralelo a la escalada de ataques, representantes de Ucrania y Estados Unidos mantuvieron el jueves una ronda de diálogo en Ginebra con la mira puesta en avanzar hacia una salida negociada al conflicto y preparar un nuevo esquema de conversaciones que incluya a Rusia.
Según confirmó el presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelenski, el intercambio dejó “una mayor disposición” para un próximo formato trilateral. “Lo más probable es que la próxima reunión se celebre en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, concretamente en Abu Dabi”, afirmó en su discurso vespertino, y estimó que el encuentro podría realizarse a comienzos de marzo.
Las gestiones forman parte del proceso impulsado por Donald Trump para intentar poner fin a más de cuatro años de guerra. En ese marco, delegaciones rusa y ucraniana viajaron a Suiza para mantener reuniones por separado con funcionarios estadounidenses.
El principal negociador de Kiev, Rustem Umerov, se reunió durante unas seis horas con los enviados de Washington Steve Witkoff y Jared Kushner en un hotel céntrico de Ginebra.
Tras el encuentro, aseguró que las conversaciones se centraron especialmente en la reconstrucción de Ucrania tras la guerra. “Trabajamos en detalle con los estadounidenses en un documento sobre la recuperación del país”, señaló, y sostuvo que ya se acordaron posiciones que servirán de base para futuros acuerdos.
Pese a los contactos, las negociaciones siguen lejos de un cierre. Rusia, que ocupa cerca del 20% del territorio ucraniano, insiste en su demanda de controlar por completo la región de Donetsk, una condición que Kiev rechaza de plano por considerarla equivalente a una capitulación.
Desde Moscú, el canciller Serguéi Lavrov advirtió que su país no maneja plazos para alcanzar un entendimiento. “No tenemos fechas límites, tenemos tareas. Las estamos llevando a cabo”, afirmó. En la misma línea, el Kremlin señaló que aún es prematuro hacer pronósticos sobre un eventual acuerdo.
Zelenski reiteró que una solución de fondo requerirá una reunión cara a cara con Vladimir Putin, aunque el Kremlin volvió a descartar una cumbre presidencial hasta que los equipos negociadores cierren un acuerdo definitivo.
Con información de EFE y AFP
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Vance says America ‘cannot give power back to congressional Democrats’ following their behavior at SOTU
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Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Democrats’ behavior during the State of the Union address this week «showed us that we cannot give power back to congressional Democrats» in the midterm elections this November.
Vance, speaking during a visit to a machining factory in Plover, Wisconsin, made the remark before ripping Democrats for not standing up Tuesday in support of Dalilah Coleman, a young child who survived after an illegal immigrant from India allegedly struck the car she was in on a highway in San Bernardino County, California, in June 2024.
«I want to talk about the stakes coming up in November because it feels like this election in November is very far away. But, if anything, the State of the Union should have showed us that we cannot give power back to congressional Democrats,» Vance said.
«Now, I am fundamentally an optimist about this country. I believe most people, most human beings, most American citizens, whether they got a D next to their name or an R next to the name or they have no political affiliation, they’re good people.
«They love our country. They want our country to thrive and prosper. But I got to tell you, after the State of the Union, I’m not so sure that is true of the congressional Democrats that we saw at the State of the Union address.
Vice President JD Vance speaks at Pointe Precision in Plover, Wis., Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Matt Rourke/AP)
«For example, you have this beautiful little girl. She had such a sweet moment with her dad. You may have remembered. She was probably 6 years old. She had been assaulted by an illegal immigrant. She had had a very bad, I think, medical prognosis. But it turned out that she was OK. This 6-year-old girl, hurt by a human being who never should have been in this country in the first place, who was led into this country by Joe Biden, the Democrats,» Vance said.
«And she’s hugging her dad, and she’s so excited. And you can tell, and I think everybody’s heart feels very, you know, you get that warm and fuzzy feeling. And then I look over at the congressional Democrats, and they’re just scowling. They cannot clap their hands for a 6-year-old who survived an attack from an illegal alien. What is that?» the vice president added.
«What kind of a person can’t stand up and cheer for an innocent young girl who’s doing well, who’s showing the entire country strength and resilience?»
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Marcus Coleman holds his daughter Dalilah Coleman as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The man driving the 18-wheeler that allegedly struck Coleman was identified as Partap Singh, who was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration-related charges.
«I think when that little girl was standing up hugging and kissing her dad, that those Democrats, there was at least a part of them, the human part and their soul that wanted to stand up and cheer for that little girl. And all of them sat on their hands. And you have to ask yourself, why is that?» Vance also said.
Republican members of Congress stand while Democrats keep their seats during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)
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«And the answer is because they know they don’t answer to you, they answer to somebody else. They answer to people who have corrupted this country,» he concluded.
«They answer to the people who open the border. They answer the people who got rich off of illegal immigrant labor. We want you guys to get rich off of the labor of American citizens. We want American workers to get rich for working hard, not illegal aliens.
«And that, to me, is the fundamental difference between congressional leadership and congressional Democrats and the congressional Republicans under the leadership of this president.»
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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India and Israel elevate ties to ‘special strategic partnership’ status during Modi visit
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India and Israel declared themselves a «special strategic partnership» on Thursday after signing 16 new agreements, the two countries announced in a joint statement on Thursday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week. Representatives of the two countries held working meetings this week to discuss agreements spanning security, agriculture, water, development and labor.
«This is an amazing visit. An amazing conclusion to an amazing visit,» Netanyahu said alongside Modi. «It was short, but extraordinarily productive and also extraordinarily moving.»
«The future belongs to those who innovate, and Israel and India are bent on innovation. We are proud ancient civilizations, very proud of our past, but also absolutely determined to seize our future and we can do it better together.» he added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in New Delhi, India on February 25, 2026. (Photo by Press Information Bureau (PIB)/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The two countries ultimately signed 16 agreements spanning a range of topics, including articifial intelligence, cultural exchange, agriculture, and energy, with Netanyahu adding that they are still working on a more «concrete» agreement.
«This friendship is built on a deep foundation of democratic and human values,» Modi said, as translated by Israel’s Ynet News. «Our ties have stood the test of time. Today we made a historic decision to elevate our longstanding partnership to a special strategic partnership, symbolizing the aspirations of our two peoples.»
The elevated relationship comes as the U.S. and Israel have ramped up tensions with Iran. The U.S. has undergone a massive military buildup in the region, and Netanyahu discussed Iran with President Donald Trump during a White House visit earlier this month.
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President Donald Trump bids farewell to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the White House. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump said Wednesday that he wants to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy, but he also accused Tehran of expanding its missile capabilities.
«They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas,» he said. «And they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.»
«My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,» Trump added. «They want to make a deal. But we haven’t heard those secret words: we will never have a nuclear weapon.»
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«But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.»
Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.
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