India has firmly rejected Pakistan’s attempt to implicate it in a deadly suicide bombing that killed 13 Pakistani soldiers in North Waziristan on June 28. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi issued a strongly worded response, dismissing the allegation as baseless and offensive.
“We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves,” the MEA said, responding to a statement by the Pakistan Army that sought to hold India responsible for the attack.
The Attack:
The suicide bombing occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s volatile North Waziristan district, where a bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy, killing:
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13 soldiers
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Injuring 10 more soldiers
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19 civilians were also wounded in the blast
This attack has been claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group’s suicide unit, a faction affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It marks one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent months.
Context and Escalation:
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Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan’s western border regions have witnessed a significant uptick in militant violence.
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Pakistan blames Afghanistan’s Taliban regime for providing shelter to groups like the TTP, although Kabul continues to deny these allegations.
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According to AFP, over 290 people, primarily from security forces, have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in militant attacks so far in 2025.
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Pakistan now ranks 2nd on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths increasing by 45% year-on-year, totaling 1,081 deaths.
India’s Stand:
India has consistently denied any involvement in internal disturbances in Pakistan and has accused Islamabad of using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. The current statement by the MEA reflects New Delhi’s growing impatience with what it sees as a pattern of scapegoating by Pakistan to divert attention from its own domestic failings in counterterrorism.
Geopolitical Implications:
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This exchange further deteriorates India-Pakistan relations, already strained over Kashmir and other cross-border issues.
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It also highlights the worsening security crisis in Pakistan’s tribal belt, which is becoming a flashpoint again as insurgent groups grow more active and organized.
