India Rejects Pakistan Army’s Accusations Over Deadly Suicide Attack in Waziristan

 New Delhi, June 30: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday firmly dismissed allegations made by the Pakistan Army implicating India in a deadly suicide attack that occurred a day earlier in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“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 MEA said in a strongly worded official response.

The suicide bombing, which targeted a military convoy in the restive North Waziristan district, left at least 16 Pakistani soldiers dead and injured over two dozen others, including both military personnel and civilians. The attack was reportedly carried out by a suicide bomber affiliated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Following the attack, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement condemning what he described as a “cowardly act,” while Army Chief General Asim Munir warned of a forceful response to any attempts aimed at destabilizing the country. Despite the TTP-linked faction claiming responsibility, the Pakistan military alleged without providing evidence that the attack was orchestrated by an “Indian proxy.”

The explosion also caused significant structural damage in the vicinity, including the collapse of the roofs of two homes, injuring six children, according to local police sources.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months. In March, the TTP announced the launch of a “spring campaign” targeting Pakistani security forces, involving ambushes, targeted killings, and suicide bombings. The group has since claimed responsibility for approximately 100 attacks in the province.

So far in 2025, over 290 people—most of them security personnel—have been killed in terrorist violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to data compiled by AFP.

Islamabad continues to accuse the Taliban-led government in Kabul of offering sanctuary to militant groups that stage cross-border attacks on Pakistani soil. The Taliban administration has consistently denied these claims, counter-accusing Pakistan of sheltering extremist elements within its own borders.

The escalating war of words and mutual recriminations underscore the volatile security dynamics in the region, even as diplomatic relations between the two neighbours remain severely strained.