Pakistan carried out air and drone strikes across several areas of Afghanistan early Sunday, reportedly killing around 17 people. Following the attacks in border regions, senior officials of Afghanistan’s Taliban government convened an emergency meeting to discuss possible retaliatory measures against Pakistan. In a statement, the Afghan government accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and asserted Kabul’s right to respond, though the timing of any counterattack would be determined by Taliban leaders.

According to The Week, Afghan authorities believe Pakistan’s new strikes breached an existing ceasefire agreement. They have informed mediator countries Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey about the situation. Pakistan claimed the strikes were precision operations based on intelligence targeting militant hideouts, while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on X that Pakistani forces attacked civilians, causing dozens of deaths.

The report noted that heavy border clashes occurred between the two nations last year before a ceasefire was brokered. Pakistan’s latest actions followed a rise in terrorist attacks inside its territory, which it blamed on Afghanistan.

The Islamic State (IS) on Saturday called on its members to fight against the government of Ahmed al-Shara in Syria. The appeal came through an audio message from IS spokesperson Abu Huzaifa al-Ansari, marking his first public statement in nearly two years. In the pre-recorded message released online, al-Ansari urged IS fighters to prioritize combat against the new Syrian administration, its secular government, and the National Army.

Al-Ansari’s previous message was released in January 2024, when he had called for attacks in retaliation for Israeli strikes in Gaza. The current Syrian interim government took power in December 2024 after the ouster of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. Ahmed al-Shara, who previously had ties with al-Qaeda, has since sought to project a more moderate image.

The report also noted that Syrian forces recently advanced against Kurdish fighters, raising questions about the fate of IS detainees held in Kurdish-controlled areas. Amid this uncertainty, the United States transferred more than 5,700 IS prisoners from Syria to Iraqi prisons.

Eight Chinese tourists were killed when a tour bus sank after breaking through the ice on Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. The regional branch of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the incident, which occurred on Friday, February 20. According to Igor Kobzev, one Chinese tourist managed to escape from the bus and survive. The victims included seven Chinese tourists and the bus driver. The Chinese Consulate General has been informed of the tragedy.

Officials said the bus fell into a three-meter-wide crack in the ice and sank into the lake. Rescue teams later used underwater cameras to recover seven bodies. The regional prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the incident.

Lake Baikal, known as the world’s deepest freshwater lake, is a major tourist destination in Siberia, especially popular among Chinese visitors. Authorities maintain designated ice roads during winter, allowing specific vehicles to cross under supervision, while driving outside approved routes is officially prohibited. The number of Chinese tourists visiting the lake has increased in recent years due to a visa-free travel arrangement between Moscow and Beijing.

Authorities in Libya and Greece have recovered the bodies of eight refugees following separate maritime incidents. Five bodies were found washed ashore near Tripoli, Libya, while three others were recovered off the coast of Crete, Greece. Residents of Libya’s coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar discovered the bodies on Saturday, and local police said more may still be floating at sea.

The Libyan incident occurred just weeks after a rubber boat carrying 55 migrants sank off Zuwara, leaving about 53 people dead or missing, including two children. In Greece, the Athens News Agency reported that a wooden boat carrying migrants and asylum seekers capsized near Crete. Authorities rescued at least 20 survivors, mostly Egyptian and Sudanese nationals, including four minors.

According to ERT, survivors said around 50 people had been on the wooden boat, and another vessel carrying about 40 migrants was spotted nearby, prompting a new rescue operation.

Ukraine on Saturday claimed it carried out a strike on a key Russian ballistic missile manufacturing facility located in Votkinsk, a city in Russia’s remote Udmurtia region. The Ukrainian General Staff said the attack targeted a military installation involved in producing strategic missiles. According to Ukrainian military sources, the plant manufactured short-range Iskander and intercontinental Topol-M missiles, and the strike demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to reach targets about 1,400 kilometers from its border.

In a statement on Telegram, Ukrainian forces said they used domestically produced, ground-launched Flamingo cruise missiles in the attack, which caused a fire and significant operational damage inside the facility. However, no specific details on casualties or the extent of damage were released. Udmurtia’s governor, Aleksandr Brechalov, confirmed a nighttime drone attack in the region, reporting some damage and injuries but did not specify the target.

Following the incident, airports in Izhevsk and nearby cities were temporarily closed as a security measure. The strike comes amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which have left many Ukrainians without power and heating during winter.

Pakistan’s military carried out airstrikes across several areas of Afghanistan, killing at least 17 people, according to Afghan sources cited by Al Jazeera. The Pakistani government said the strikes targeted seven hideouts of Fitna al-Kharij’s affiliates and Daesh-Khorasan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Islamabad described the operation as a response to a recent suicide attack in the Pakistani capital.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense condemned the strikes in a statement on Sunday, saying they hit a religious school and residential homes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, causing civilian casualties including women and children. The attacks have placed a fragile ceasefire between the two neighbors under serious strain.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated on social media that the military targeted camps and secret bases of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups, as well as an Islamic State affiliate near the border. The ministry added that Islamabad had repeatedly urged the Taliban government to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory for attacks but claimed Kabul had failed to act.

Saudi Arabia has arrested more than 19,000 illegal expatriates during a nationwide security campaign conducted from February 12 to 18, 2026. The joint operation targeted violations of labor, residency, and border security regulations, according to Khaleej Times. Among those detained, 12,153 were held for residency violations, 2,845 for labor law breaches, and 4,103 for border security offenses. Additionally, 663 people were caught attempting to cross the border illegally, most of them Yemeni and Ethiopian nationals.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior stated that 28 individuals accused of assisting violators through transportation, shelter, or employment were also detained. Of the arrested expatriates, 14,893 have been deported, 1,389 were instructed to correct their travel documents, and 15,585 were ordered to obtain proper documentation. Authorities warned that anyone aiding border violators could face up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to one million riyals.

The ministry also announced that vehicles and residences used for transporting or harboring violators would be confiscated as part of the enforcement measures.

Saudi authorities have announced new guidelines for Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan to ensure safety, order, and smooth worship at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The measures include crowd control, transportation management, and health and safety protocols as the number of worshippers increases during the holy month. Digital indicators have been installed at mosque entrances to show space availability, with green indicating open areas and red indicating full capacity.

Authorities have restricted the use of private cars to reduce congestion and encouraged the use of buses, taxis, and the Haramain High-Speed Railway. Motorcycles, bicycles, and unauthorized vehicles are banned in central areas. Separate prayer areas and electric carts have been arranged for elderly and special-needs worshippers, while families are advised not to bring children into crowded zones.

Additional instructions include staying hydrated, taking rest, following fire safety rules, and obtaining mandatory digital permits. Carrying weapons, begging, unauthorized selling, and obstructing movement are strictly prohibited under the new directives.

Tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program have intensified, according to a report by Axios. The report claims that if Iran fails to provide assurances of permanently halting nuclear weapons development, the U.S. may consider extreme measures, including removing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The Pentagon has reportedly presented several strategic options to President Donald Trump, one of which involves dismantling Iran’s religious leadership structure. Trump has not yet made a final decision and is said to be keeping all options open.

The report adds that if Iran commits to permanently stopping weapons production, limited uranium enrichment could be allowed, though no final decision has been made. Diplomatic efforts have so far yielded little progress, raising fears of military confrontation. Several Gulf states and Israel believe conflict is more likely than compromise. The U.S. has assembled its largest military presence in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq war, though Trump has not authorized military action.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that both sides have agreed on some basic principles and that Tehran will soon submit a written proposal. The White House confirmed that significant gaps remain before any agreement can be reached.

The White House announced that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit China from March 31 to April 2, marking the first official trip to Beijing by a U.S. president since Trump’s own visit in 2017. The dates were confirmed by a White House official, and both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have recently described communication between their countries as positive. Trump commented that the visit would be a major event, calling for a grand display during his stay.

The announcement came shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs previously imposed by Trump on multiple countries, a policy tool he had used to influence international support for his agenda. Trade issues, including tariffs and China’s reduced purchases of U.S. soybeans, are expected to feature prominently in discussions. Beijing has recently hosted other Western leaders, such as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who announced new trade deals and lifted restrictions on Chinese-made electric cars.

China’s growing exports of electric vehicles and investments in renewable energy contrast with Trump’s continued emphasis on fossil fuels. The visit will also be Trump’s first to China since the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he had criticized Beijing’s handling of the outbreak.

Sweden has advised its citizens to leave Iran immediately due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. On Friday, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard posted on social media platform X, warning that the situation in Iran and the region is highly uncertain. She urged Swedish nationals to avoid traveling to Iran and for those currently there to depart as soon as possible. Stenergard noted that it remains possible to leave Iran via air and land border crossings and encouraged citizens to use these routes.

The minister further stated that individuals choosing to remain in Iran must do so on their own responsibility, as the Swedish Foreign Ministry will not be able to assist with evacuation. The advisory follows heightened nuclear-related tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to the report, the US President told reporters at the White House that limited strikes against Iran were being considered to maintain pressure, while warning that failure to reach a fair agreement could lead to serious consequences.

The situation underscores growing instability in the region, prompting Sweden to take precautionary measures to protect its nationals abroad.

Three people were killed when US forces carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to a report citing Al Jazeera. The attack took place in international waters, and Washington claimed the vessel was involved in drug trafficking but did not provide supporting evidence. The US Southern Command, responsible for military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, described the incident as a 'lethal dynamic strike' conducted on Friday.

The report stated that with this latest incident, the number of people killed in US attacks on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea has risen to at least 148 since early September, during which the US military has conducted around 43 strikes. Latin American leaders, legal experts, and human rights activists have questioned the legality of these operations, accusing US forces of carrying out extrajudicial killings in international waters.

The growing criticism highlights increasing regional unease over US military actions beyond its territorial jurisdiction, raising calls for accountability and transparency in future operations.

The United States has withdrawn hundreds of troops from major military bases in Qatar and Bahrain amid concerns over a possible war in the Middle East. The New York Times reported on Friday, citing Pentagon sources, that several hundred soldiers were pulled from Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base and from the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. However, American forces remain stationed in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.

The move is being viewed as a precautionary measure in anticipation of a potential US strike on Iran. Analysts cited in the report suggest that if Washington attacks, Tehran could retaliate by targeting US forces deployed across the region. In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Iran’s mission chief warned that any attack on Iran would make all enemy bases and assets in the region legitimate targets, holding the United States fully responsible for any resulting consequences.

Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest US military installation in the Middle East, hosting around 10,000 troops and serving as a key hub for regional air operations.

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a proposal to designate a large portion of the occupied West Bank as “state property,” marking the first such move since Israel’s 1967 occupation. The decision targets Area C, which constitutes 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control, with plans to establish settlements there by 2030. The move is seen as part of Israel’s broader effort to expand illegal settlements and assert sovereignty over the territory.

Jordan has condemned the decision, calling it a direct threat to its national security and to King Abdullah’s stability. The Jordanian monarch has previously warned that any displacement of Palestinians or dissolution of their national rights would cross his “red lines.” The move has also drawn condemnation from Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, other Arab and Muslim nations, the European Union, and the United Nations. U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to annexation but stopped short of condemning the decision.

Analysts in Jordan view the move as sealing the fate of the Oslo Accords and accelerating the collapse of the Palestinian Authority. It could force Jordan to choose between accepting displaced Palestinians or suspending its peace treaty with Israel, a step that could reshape regional geopolitics.

At least 12 people, including a Hezbollah commander, were killed in Israeli air and drone strikes across eastern and southern Lebanon, according to reports on February 21, 2026. The attacks targeted areas in the Bekaa Valley, where initial reports said six people were killed and over 25 injured, later revised to 10 dead and at least 30 wounded. The strikes hit a building in the city of Rayak in Bekaa Governorate, where rescue operations continued to search for survivors under the rubble.

The Israeli military stated that it targeted a Hezbollah command center in the Baalbek area, while a Hezbollah source confirmed to AFP that one of its military leaders was among the dead. Separately, an Israeli drone strike hit the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon, killing at least two people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel said the attack was in response to repeated ceasefire violations and aimed at a Hamas command center, while Hamas condemned the strike, saying civilians were among the casualties.