India on Sunday firmly rejected the Pakistan Army’s accusations blaming New Delhi for a deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan, dismissing the claims as baseless and contemptible.
In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on 28 June. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves.”
The attack, which took place on Saturday in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulted in the deaths of at least 13 security personnel, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan. The ISPR identified the group behind the attack as Fitna-al-Khawarij.
Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Office had confirmed eight fatalities among security forces. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the incident and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
District Police Officer Waqar Ahmed informed The Dawn that four civilians were also injured in the suicide bombing, which was executed using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the bombing.
This latest attack follows an intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan, where two soldiers were killed and 11 terrorists neutralised just days earlier.
Pakistan has been grappling with a surge in terror-related violence. The country ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, witnessing a 45% spike in terrorism-related fatalities over the past year, with a total of 1,081 deaths. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, May 2025 alone saw 85 terrorist attacks, up from 81 in April.
India has consistently maintained that Pakistan should address the root causes of terrorism within its own borders rather than externalising blame.