Taliban insurgents have claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan region, even as Islamabad laid the blame squarely on India, drawing a sharp rebuke from New Delhi.
The suicide attack on Saturday left at least 16 Pakistani security personnel dead and over two dozen people wounded, including civilians and children. A wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said it was behind the bombing.
The bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy near the Mir Ali area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, causing extensive damage and casualties. A police officer said, “The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children.”
Despite the Taliban claim, Pakistan’s military accused India of orchestrating the attack. In a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military described the bomber as part of the “Indian-sponsored kharijis” and alleged, “In their desperation, an explosive-laden vehicle was rammed by the Indian sponsored kharijis into one of the vehicles of the leading group.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs swiftly rejected the allegation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack on Waziristan on 28 June. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves.”
Also read: Pakistan blames India for Waziristan blast, MEA hits back
Surge in frontier violence
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks, particularly in regions bordering Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses Kabul’s new rulers of harbouring or turning a blind eye to TTP fighters operating from Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban government continues to deny, insisting the insurgency is Pakistan’s internal matter.
TTP, a banned group in Pakistan, comprises several Islamist factions and seeks to overthrow the government to impose a strict version of Islamic law. Despite military offensives launched in recent years, the group remains a potent threat, particularly in tribal areas such as North Waziristan.
Reports suggests that over 290 people, mostly security personnel, have been killed in attacks this year alone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Saturday’s incident triggered a fresh diplomatic skirmish between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. While Pakistan repeated its long-standing claim of Indian involvement in internal unrest, India’s response underscored its rejection of such narratives.
Observers fear the competing claims may complicate already frayed bilateral ties and distract from the growing threat of militant resurgence in Pakistan’s frontier belt.
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