Pakistan’s February 22 cross-border airstrikes in Afghanistan—justified as targeting TTP sanctuaries after major attacks inside Pakistan—produced sharply contested casualty claims, triggered a February 24 border exchange of fire, and pulled India into the narrative battle, further stressing an already fragile Pakistan–Taliban ceasefire amid intensifying domestic militancy pressure.

ISIS’s Amaq claimed the Khadija Al-Kubra mosque suicide bombing near Islamabad and asserted 200+ casualties, while Pakistani officials cited by AP reported at least 31 killed and 169 wounded and described an investigation into the attack sequence and attribution.

Coordinated BLA claimed attacks across Balochistan killed civilians and security personnel and prompted a wide security crackdown that officials say killed 67 insurgents in one day.