Cartel attacks kill more than two dozen people in Mexico
NewsFeed Cartel reprisals for the killing of drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera killed at least 25 Mexican National Guard soldiers, a prison guard, a state official, and a civilian, according to the country’s security secretary. Published On 23 Feb 202623 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Putin’s strategy is that Ukraine will fall before he does: Ex-FM Kuleba
As Ukraine marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion on Tuesday, Dmytro Kuleba, the war-torn nation’s former foreign minister from 2020 until 2024, talks to Al Jazeera about how early expectations of a short war gave way to a grinding conflict with no clear end in sight. From shifting definitions of victory and growing fractures among Ukraine’s allies to negotiations with Moscow and lessons learned in the Global South, Kuleba reflected on what survival, realism and resolve mean for Ukraine today. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The 44-year-old, who is now an associate professor at Sciences Po in France and a non-resident senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, spoke to Al Jazeera via video-link from Kyiv, where he resides. Here’s our interview, which has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. Al Jazeera: As the war enters a fifth year, is there any room for optimism? Dmytro Kuleba: Optimism should be rooted in reality, and there will be no ceasefire until the end of winter in Ukraine. I do not mean the calendar winter; I mean the temperatures and the weather. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been ruthlessly destroying our energy system and plunging millions of Ukrainians into cold and darkness to break them down, not to make a good deal with them. After winter ends, there will be a slim chance for a ceasefire, and whether the slim chance can become real, will depend on two factors. First, whether Russia will be able to make advances on the battlefield, because if it does, it will have zero incentive to stop. Advertisement And secondly, whether the Russian economy will cripple under the pressure of mounting problems. Al Jazeera: Is Russia negotiating in good faith or buying time with the current talks? Kuleba: Russia, throughout its history, has not been particularly famous for negotiating in good faith. They are testing how much they can achieve at the negotiating table instead of achieving the same goals on the battlefield. Secondly, they are engaging in meaningful conversation, trying to understand how a potential ceasefire could work from a technical perspective, just to have that frame on the table. But meaningful does not mean in good faith. Putin believes he can win the war. He believes he’s making progress on the battlefield and that he can manage problems in the Russian economy. His strategy is that Ukraine is going to fall before he does. Al Jazeera: Is the current situation something you imagined back in February 2022? Kuleba: When war breaks out, your first instinct is to believe that it’s not going to last long … and all you have to do is just to survive the first attack, and then the attacking side will realise that it failed to achieve its goals. But while keeping this instinctive scenario on your mind, you always have to also remember that things may last longer than you expect. Did I expect the war to last for four years? No, I didn’t. But was I preparing myself for a long war? Yes, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was keeping that option open. Al Jazeera: What does victory mean to you now? Kuleba: It started as a nightmare, and by the end of [2022], we captured half of the territories Russia had captured in the first months of the invasion, and we were pushing them back on old fronts. [Russian troops] were struggling to stabilise the front line; a sense of euphoria dominated in Ukraine, both among the decision-makers and the population. This was the moment when victory was defined as regaining control of the 1991 border, which had existed before Russia annexed Crimea and intervened in the east of Ukraine in 2014. But this hope … did not pass the reality check by the end of 2023, when our big counteroffensive failed to deliver. Since then, politicians and people in Ukraine find it more and more difficult to redefine victory and speak about it, which I think is a big problem, because if you do not define what your final goal is, you will never get it. So I offer my understanding of victory today, which would be to cease fire along the existing front line to stop hostilities and introduce a provisional truce between Russia and Ukraine to receive a long multi-year programme of military support to Ukraine; to launch a multi-billion recovery plan for Ukraine, and to see Ukraine as a member of the European Union. Advertisement Victory should always be defined, not only against your own goals, but also against the initial goals of your enemy. So if I look back at 2022 and assume that Russia’s main objective was the demolition of the Ukrainian statehood and the return of Ukraine under its full control, then … Russia failed. Al Jazeera: Do you feel the West and your vision are aligned? Kuleba: The West doesn’t really exist anymore in the form we are used to thinking about it. Europe is aligned. Some countries outside of Europe, which belong to what used to be the West, are aligned as well, such as Japan, Australia, and other nations. The United States holds a different view now; they just want to end hostilities at any cost. Al Jazeera: What security guarantees does Ukraine need for a potential ceasefire to hold? Kuleba: It would be Russia accepting that Ukraine has a right to exist as an independent, sovereign and European nation. Everything in between a potential ceasefire and the acceptance of this fact will be a conflict, taking one form or another. Al Jazeera: Is there still defiance among Ukrainians? Kuleba: We won the winter battle. It was the battle for our resolve and stamina, and Putin hoped we would be broken. We are exhausted, but not broken. Al Jazeera: What would you say to Ukraine’s backers who have expressed concern about recent corruption scandals? A big corruption case always triggers two reactions. If you want to argue, if your goal
Israel bans 5 Palestinian media organisations from occupied East Jerusalem
NewsFeed Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued an order banning the work of five Palestinian local media organisations based in occupied East Jerusalem, accusing them of links to Hamas and causing “incitement”. Published On 23 Feb 202623 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un re-elected as chief of Workers’ Party
Kim says his party is focused on the tasks of ‘boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living’. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 22 Feb 202622 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as secretary-general of the nation’s Workers’ Party, extending his 15-year rule of the country’s sole governing party. The election took place on Sunday, the fourth day of the party congress, held every five years, according to the state news agency KCNA. During the event, Central Committee members were also elected, and some party rules were modified, it said without providing details. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Kim has been North Korea’s supreme leader since the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011.In 2019, North Korea’s legislature approved constitutional changes to make Kim’s power “monolithic” over all state affairs, formally establishing him as head of state. During this year’s Workers’ Party Congress, Kim assessed the party’s last five years of work and outlined new strategies and goals for the next five-year period. Speaking at the event’s opening session last week, Kim called the last five years a “proud period … in implementing the socialist cause of our own style”, while acknowledging challenges such as sanctions and “the global public health crisis”. “Today, our Party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living and transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible,” the KCNA quote him as saying. “This requires us to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation.” Other high-level officials also delivered remarks at the Congress, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui. Advertisement ‘Optimism and confidence’ For decades, nuclear weapons and military prowess came before everything else in North Korea, even as food stocks dried up and widespread famine, which Pyongyang denied existed, gripped the nation. But since assuming power, Kim has also stressed the need to fortify the impoverished nation’s economy, while keeping military might as the top priority, Kim stated during his opening address that North Korea had overcome its “worst difficulties” in the last five years, and was now entering a new stage of “optimism and confidence in the future”. Ahead of the congress, Kim held a ceremony unveiling dozens of nuclear-capable rocket launchers, which he hailed as “wonderful” and “attractive”. “When this weapon is used, actually, no force would be able to expect God’s protection,” Kim said. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,460
These are the key developments from day 1,460 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 4 mins info By News Agencies Published On 23 Feb 202623 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is where things stand on Monday, February 23: Fighting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for an attack in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, which killed a 23-year-old policewoman and wounded at least 24 others. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi described the incident as a “terrorist” act. Russian forces attacked Kyiv and the region surrounding the capital overnight on Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding 17 others, including four children. The attacks damaged more than a dozen homes in five districts, regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said on Telegram. The attacks again targeted Ukraine’s energy sector and caused power outages in several regions, including Kyiv, Ukraine’s power grid operator Ukrenergo said. Zelenskyy wrote on X that the strikes also targeted the Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava and Sumy regions. He noted that aside from the energy sector, residential buildings and the railway were also damaged. Ukraine’s air force said Russia deployed 345 weapons, including 50 missiles and 297 drones, in the overnight attack. It said it shot down 33 missiles and 274 drones. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha called on the international community to impose tougher sanctions against the Kremlin following the latest Russian attack, saying, “This terror cannot be normalised; it must be stopped. Russia cannot wag the world, just as the tail cannot wag the dog.” Russian-installed officials in the occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia said emergency crews were restoring power to areas hit by cuts following a Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure. Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-installed governor, said 12,000 other households remain without power. A Ukrainian drone attack on Russian-occupied Luhansk in Ukraine’s northeast caused a fire at a fuel reservoir, according to Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-installed leader there. In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, a “massive” Ukrainian missile attack inflicted serious damage on energy infrastructure and disrupted power, heat and water supplies, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. Ukrainian drone attacks forced brief suspensions at airports in the Russian capital, Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 24 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed or intercepted en route to Moscow. Advertisement Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence units had intercepted or destroyed 130 Ukrainian drones over a four-hour period, including over Moscow and the surrounding region, as well as other central Russian regions. Politics and diplomacy Russian President Vladimir Putin said developing the country’s nuclear forces was now an “absolute priority” following the expiry of its last remaining nuclear treaty with the United States. He made the comments during a speech to mark the “Defender of the Fatherland Day”, a holiday honouring Russia’s army. Pope Leo has made an impassioned appeal for peace in Ukraine, saying an end to the four-year-old war “cannot be postponed”. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban said Budapest will block the European Union’s next package of sanctions against Russia, in a move aimed at pushing Ukraine to resume the flow of Russian oil through a pipeline supplying Hungarian refineries. In a separate social media post, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto declared: “Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as “ultimatums and blackmail” by the governments of Hungary and Slovakia, after they threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restarted flows of Russian oil. In a statement, the ministry said: “Ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv.” Ukrainian recruits complete basic military training at an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhia region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine [Ukrainian Armed Forces Handout Photo/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
One Battle After Another triumphs at UK’s BAFTA film awards
The offbeat thriller has won six BAFTAs, including best film and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 4 mins info The dark comedy One Battle After Another has swept the United Kingdom’s top film honours, picking up six BAFTA awards, including best film and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson. The film beat the Shakespearean family tragedy Hamnet, and the vampire thriller Sinners, to take the top prizes at Sunday evening’s ceremony. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The UK prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held this year on March 15. One Battle After Another, an explosive film about a group of revolutionaries in chaotic conflict with the state, won awards for directing, adapted screenplay, cinematography, and editing, as well as for Sean Penn’s supporting performance as an obsessed military officer. “This is very overwhelming and wonderful,” Anderson said as he accepted the directing prize. “We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film: ‘I know what freedom is: It’s no fear’,” the director said. “Let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea.” Sinners, which has a record 16 Oscar nods, won best original screenplay for writer and director Ryan Coogler, best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and best original score. The gothic horror story Frankenstein won three awards each, while Hamnet won two, including best British film. The documentary about Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, The Voice of Hind Rajab, was among the top contenders for BAFTA’s best director and non-English language film categories. But the film Sentimental Value won in the non-English language category. The biggest surprise of the night was Robert Aramayo winning the best actor category for his performance in I Swear, a fact-based British indie drama about a campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome. Advertisement The 33-year-old British actor beat Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B Jordan, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons for the honour. “I absolutely can’t believe this,” he said. “Everyone in this category blows me away.” Jessie Buckley won best actress for playing Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, in Hamnet, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and directed by previous Oscar winner Chloe Zhao. The best documentary prize went to Mr Nobody Against Putin, about a Russian teacher who documented the propaganda imposed on Russian schools after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The film’s American director, David Borenstein, said that teacher Pavel Talankin had shown that “whether it’s in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we always face a moral choice”, referring to the protests against US immigration enforcement in Minnesota. “We need more Mr Nobodies,” he said. It beat documentaries including Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine war portrait, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, co-produced by The Associated Press and Frontline PBS. The guests of honour at the awards were Prince William and Princess Kate. The event, hosted by Alan Cumming, was the first joint engagement for the pair since William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Thursday. William, the president of the film academy, presented the BAFTA Fellowship to Donna Langley, studio head at NBC Universal. Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal – Premier League
blinking-dotLive MatchLive Match, Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Spurs host Arsenal for a crucial North London derby. Published On 22 Feb 202622 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Trump tariff chaos: What does 15% levy mean for trade deals the US signed?
The United States Supreme Court’s ruling, which declared Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs unlawful, has injected uncertainty into global trade yet again, as the US president imposed a new 15 percent tariff on Saturday. Weeks after his inauguration in January 2025, Trump imposed tariffs against foes and allies using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), unleashing a trade war that rattled global trade. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list But on Friday, in a 6-3 decision, the top court agreed that Trump exceeded his authority by invoking the 1977 law, which was designed to allow US presidents to respond to specific national emergencies. The court said tariffs are a form of taxation, and under Article I of the Constitution, the power to tax belongs exclusively to Congress. The court’s ruling, however, does not apply to Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminium, lumber and automotives since these were imposed under a different law – Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Following the verdict, a furious Trump called the Supreme Court judges “fools and lapdogs” who are “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution”. He immediately signed an executive order under Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974 to impose a blanket 10 percent tariff on all countries the US trades with, starting on February 24. On Saturday, he raised the tariff to 15 percent, the highest rate allowed under this trade law. So, what is this new trade law that Trump has used to impose tariffs? What does this mean for trade deals the US has already signed with countries around the world? Advertisement Here’s what we know: What is the new trade law Trump is using? Under US law, Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974 empowers the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 percent to address “large and serious balance-of-payments deficits”. Tariffs can be imposed under this law only for 150 days unless the US Congress agrees to extend it. Trump is the first president to use this law to impose tariffs. In a statement on Friday, the White House said some goods, such as certain agricultural products like beef, tomatoes, natural resources and fertilisers that cannot be grown or produced in the US, aerospace products, among others, will not be subject to the temporary levy. Shantanu Singh, an international trade lawyer, noted that since this is the first time this legal authority has been used by any US president, it could likely be litigated. “But the government has considerable leeway to determine this as trade deficits can form part of balance-of-payments deficits,” he told Al Jazeera. Trump has justified the tariffs as a way to balance the US’s trade deficits of more than $900bn. What happens to the trade deals? Several countries had signed trade deals to cushion themselves from Trump’s punishing tariffs last year. The United Kingdom, India and the European Union, among others, had entered into deals to lower tariffs on their exports to the US. But the ongoing tariff spectacle has thrown the future of those trade deals into doubt. Will they be charged the new 15 percent tariff or the agreed rate signed in the trade deals? Will India be tariffed at 18 percent, as per the trade deal, or 15 percent as announced by Trump on Saturday? Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said some of these trade agreements will stand. “The trade deals, because they are international, will likely remain in place,” Singh, the international trade lawyer, said. However, after the Supreme Court’s ruling, he said, the big incentive for doing trade deals with the Trump administration, which was to get a lower reciprocal tariff rate before competitors, has vanished. “That reduces the incentive for trade partners to comply with their part of the deal for the time being,” he said. Here is a look at some of the trade agreements and what their future looks like. United Kingdom The UK was one of the first to sign a trade deal with the US last May after being hit by 5 percent tariffs on steel and aluminium exports, as well as a 25 percent tariff on cars and auto parts. Under their agreement, the US agreed that there would be zero tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the UK, and for other goods, it was set at 10 percent. Last December, the two nations also agreed to zero tariffs on pharmaceuticals and medical products. Advertisement After Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that the ruling does “little to clear the murky waters for business”. On Friday, a spokesperson told the media that the British government was “working with the US” to understand more about how the court’s ruling will affect the UK. The court ruling will not impact the UK’s deal on steel, aluminium and pharmaceutical exports. But Bain said the new 15 percent global tariff rate, which has been imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act 1974, “will be bad for trade, bad for US consumers and businesses and weaken global economic growth”. China Trump had imposed one of the highest tariffs on China, and the world’s two largest economies were engaged in a trade war. At one point, they had slapped reciprocal tariffs exceeding 100 percent on some goods. The two countries have yet to sign a trade deal, but they agreed to lower the tariffs as part of a trade truce. After several rounds of trade talks and a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, the two countries agreed to a one-year truce with a 10 percent baseline tariff. Trump also slashed the so-called fentanyl tariff to 10 percent. The Supreme Court ruling will lift tariffs imposed on chemicals used in fentanyl. However, tariffs on other Chinese exports, such as electric vehicles, aluminium and steel, will remain. Following the court’s ruling, Chinese Embassy spokesperson in
Iran-US tensions: What would blocking Strait of Hormuz mean for oil, LNG?
Whenever tensions rise between Iran and the United States, one narrow waterway moves to the centre of global attention – the Strait of Hormuz. The world’s largest warship, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, is heading to the Gulf, joining one of the largest US military build-ups in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This time, Iran is in Washington’s crosshairs. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list This month, Tehran signalled how it might respond to an attack when it announced the temporary closure of sections of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway linking the Gulf to open seas. Iranian authorities carried out live-fire military drills in the corridor, through which about 20 percent of global oil supplies are shipped. The move marked a rare suspension of activity in parts of the strait. It served as a pointed warning about the economic consequences if Washington proceeds with its threats to strike Iran, highlighting how quickly a regional confrontation could spill into global markets. Where is the Strait of Hormuz? The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical oil chokepoint. The curved waterway lies between Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south. It is roughly 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit and narrows to about 33km (20 miles) at its tightest point. It forms the only maritime link between the Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Despite its narrow width, the channel accommodates the world’s largest crude carriers. Major Middle Eastern oil and gas exporters rely on it to move supplies to international markets while importing nations depend on its uninterrupted operation. How much oil and gas pass through the strait? According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 20 million barrels of oil transited through the Strait of Hormuz each day in 2024. That equates to nearly $500bn in annual energy trade, underlining the waterway’s central role in the global economy. Advertisement The crude passing through the strait originates from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Any prolonged disruption would rattle producers and the economies that depend on their exports. The strait also plays a critical role in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade. In 2024, roughly a fifth of global LNG shipments moved through the corridor with Qatar accounting for the vast majority of those volumes, according to EIA data. Where does it all go? The strait handles LNG flows in both directions. Kuwait and the UAE import supplies sourced outside the Gulf, including shipments from the US and West Africa. The EIA estimated that in 2024, 84 percent of crude oil and condensate shipments transiting the strait headed to Asian markets. A similar pattern appears in the gas trade with 83 percent of LNG volumes moving through the Strait of Hormuz destined for Asia. China, India, Japan and South Korea accounted for a combined 69 percent intake of all crude oil and condensate flows through the strait last year. Their factories, transport networks and power grids depend on uninterrupted Gulf energy. A rocket is fired during a military exercise by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and navy in the Strait of Hormuz on February 17, 2026 [Handout/SepahNews via AFP] What are Iran’s options? Under international law, states may exercise sovereignty up to 12 nautical miles (22km) from their coastlines. At its narrowest stretch, the Strait of Hormuz and its designated shipping lanes fall entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. That legal reality gives Tehran geographic leverage. About 3,000 vessels transit the strait each month. If Iran tried to obstruct traffic, one of the most effective tactics would involve deploying naval mines using fast attack boats and submarines. Tehran’s fleet includes fast boats equipped with antiship missiles, alongside surface vessels, semisubmersible craft and submarines designed for asymmetric warfare. Iran’s parliament last year approved a motion to close the Strait of Hormuz. Any final decision rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Regional dynamics could further complicate the situation. In Yemen, the Houthi group, which maintains close ties with Iran, could again try to disrupt traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global trade routes. Shipping through that corridor suffered significant disruptions after Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023. The Houthis, who control northwestern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, recently organised a mass rally under the slogan Steadfast and Ready for the Next Round, signalling readiness for a potential confrontation with domestic or foreign adversaries. Advertisement Any coordinated pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait would amplify risks for global shipping, energy markets and international trade. Impact on global oil prices Colby Connelly, head of Middle East content at Energy Intelligence, told Al Jazeera from the UAE that a full or partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have a “major impact on oil prices in the near term”, depending on how long the strait remains contested. “There are no other major sources of supply that can make up for what comes from the Gulf, especially given the consideration that around 70 percent of OPEC+ spare production capacity sits in the Gulf,” Connelly said, referring to the group of oil-producing countries that collectively sets production volumes. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on the strait to export its crude, shipping roughly 5.5 million barrels per day through the corridor – more than any other country in the region, according to EIA data. Iran’s oil exports, about 90 percent of which go to China, averaged roughly 1.7 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025, according to the EIA. “Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have limited pipeline capacity that can allow exports to continue via the Red Sea coast and Fujairah,” a UAE port on the Gulf of Oman, Connelly warned. While some Gulf producers hold substantial volumes in overseas storage that could cushion supply shocks, Connelly noted that buffers may
Two soldiers killed during military operation in Pakistan’s northwest: Army
An explosive-laden motorcycle rammed vehicle in security forces convoy, military says. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, have been killed during a military operation when a fighter driving an explosive-laden motorcycle rammed a security convoy vehicle in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province near the border with Afghanistan, according to the country’s army. The deadly clash took place on Saturday in KP’s Bannu district, with the Pakistani military saying at least five armed fighters, including one it described as “a suicide bomber” were also killed during the operation. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The military said that the bomber was stopped by the leading security team, preventing his attempt to attack civilians and law enforcement personnel and averting “a major catastrophe”. The army referred to the fighters as “khawarij” – the term it uses for banned groups, including the Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of providing refuge to the TTP, a banned Pakistani group separate from but linked to the Afghan Taliban, though Kabul has denied the allegations. The two countries had previously clashed in a brief border conflict in October last year. “Pakistan will not exercise any restrain and operations would continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act for justified retribution against khwarij, irrespective of their location,” the statement said. “Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” it said. Advertisement Repeated attacks Bannu has long been a frequent flashpoint for armed violence, with repeated attacks on security forces and police checkpoints in recent years. Security officials have reported strikes on police installations, suicide bombings and armed assaults in the district, part of a broader surge in armed rebel group activity across KP after the TTP ended a ceasefire with the government in late 2022. Earlier this week, two bomb attacks and a gun battle between police and rebel fighters killed more than a dozen people in the province. One child and 11 security personnel were killed in an attack in Bajaur district, the Pakistani military said, while seven others, including women and children, were injured in the incident. Adblock test (Why?)