Waziristan attack: MEA rejects Pakistan army claim; says ‘statement deserves contempt’
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
India refutes Pakistan Army’s allegation of involvement in Waziristan suicide attack
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) firmly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that New Delhi was involved in the recent suicide bombing in North Waziristan. A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a Pakistani military convoy on Saturday. The attack killed 13 soldiers, wounded 10 others, and injured 19 civilians. The Pakistan Army attributed the attack to a little-known militant group called Fitna-al-Khawarij.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a strongly worded statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), 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.”
The statement came in response to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which suggested Indian involvement in the deadly incident, further escalating tensions between the two neighbours.
What happened in Waziristan?
On Saturday, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a Pakistani military convoy in North Waziristan, located in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attack killed 13 soldiers, wounded 10 others, and injured 19 civilians. A local official told The Dawn that the bombing was “devastating” and that rescue operations were still underway.
The Pakistan Army attributed the attack to a little-known militant group called Fitna-al-Khawarij. The attack follows a recent intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan where two Pakistani soldiers and 11 militants were killed. As of now, no organisation has officially claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.
Cross-border tensions
Security analysts link the surge in violence in Waziristan and adjacent areas to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Since then, Pakistan has reported a notable rise in cross-border militancy, frequently accusing the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan elements, an allegation that Kabul consistently denies.
India has consistently maintained that Pakistan should focus on tackling terrorism within its own borders rather than deflecting blame.
Waziristan Attack: India Condemns Pakistan’s baseless claims
At least 13 security personnel were injured in the attack. The incident took place in Waziristan region of Pakistan. The attack took place on the border with Afghanistan.
At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 injured in the attack.
“We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on June 28,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
“We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves,” it added.
‘Deserves contempt’: India rejects Pakistan’s claim over Waziristan attack
“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,” MEA said in official statement. At least 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The lawless province next to neighbouring Afghanistan has seen an increase in violent attacks recently. The attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday rejected Pakistan Army’s accusations over India’s involvement in a suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.
“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,” it said in an official statement.
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At least 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy, while two dozen, including army personnel and civilians, were injured. The attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and termed it a “cowardly act”, a statement from his office said. Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir said any attempt to undermine the internal stability of the country will be met with swift retribution, while the military claimed, without evidence, that the attack was executed by an Indian proxy.
The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children, according to a police officer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The lawless province next to neighbouring Afghanistan has seen an increase in violent attacks recently.
In mid-March, the TTP announced a “spring campaign” against security forces, threatening “ambushes, targeted attacks, suicide attacks and strikes”. The TTP has since claimed responsibility for around 100 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Around 290 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban government in Kabul of failing to eliminate militants who take refuge on Afghan soil to prepare attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban government denies these accusations and in return accuses Pakistan of harbouring “terrorist” cells on its soil.
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(With agency inputs)
‘Rejected with contempt’: India slams Pakistan’s Waziristan accusations
The incident occurred on Saturday, June 28, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district. At least thirteen security personnel were killed in the attack. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) also noted a slight increase in attacks, recording 85 incidents in May compared to 81 in April.
New Delhi: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday dismissed claims by the Pakistani Army that blamed India for a recent suicide bombing in North Waziristan. The MEA issued a strong statement, rejecting Pakistan’s accusations “with the contempt it deserves.”
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, June 28, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, resulted in the deaths of at least thirteen security personnel. Initial reports from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Office had confirmed eight fatalities. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) attributed the attack to “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” a militant group. District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed stated that the “suicide attack” was carried out using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, which also injured four civilians.
This recent bombing follows closely on the heels of another operation in South Waziristan just days prior, where two soldiers were killed and eleven terrorists were eliminated. ANI reports that no group has yet officially claimed responsibility for Saturday’s suicide attack.
According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan currently ranks second globally, having experienced a 45 per cent surge in terrorism-related deaths over the past year, reaching a grim total of 1,081 fatalities. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) also noted a slight increase in attacks, recording 85 incidents in May compared to 81 in April.
With inputs from ANI
Pakistan Blames India for Deadly Suicide Bombing in Waziristan; MEA Hits Back
India strongly rejects Pakistan Army’s allegation linking New Delhi to the suicide attack in North Waziristan that killed 13 soldiers. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the claim “baseless and absurd,” issuing a sharp rebuttal late Saturday night. The latest war of words comes amid already tense diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Nearly 290 people, most of them security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since January 2025 alone, according to AFP. The Taliban has denied these claims.
New Delhi, June 29:
India has vehemently denied Pakistan’s accusation that it was behind the suicide car bombing in North Waziristan that killed 13 Pakistani soldiers. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the claim “baseless and absurd,” issuing a sharp rebuttal late Saturday night.
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“We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on June 28. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The attack took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, where a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy. According to local officials and the Pakistan Army’s media wing ISPR, 13 soldiers were killed, while 10 other troops and 19 civilians were injured. The powerful blast also caused the roofs of two nearby houses to collapse, injuring several children.
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While the Pakistan Army linked the attack to a group it identified as Fitna-al-Khawarij, no independent claim of responsibility has emerged so far. The explosion occurred just days after an intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan, where two Pakistani soldiers and 11 alleged terrorists were killed.
The incident marks another bloody chapter in Pakistan’s ongoing battle against armed militants operating along its porous border with Afghanistan. Violence has surged in this region ever since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad repeatedly alleging that Afghan soil is being used to shelter and launch attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban has denied these claims.
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According to AFP, nearly 290 people, most of them security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since January 2025 alone.
India has long accused Pakistan of shifting blame for its internal security failures onto external actors. The latest war of words comes amid already tense diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
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India Pakistan relations, Waziristan suicide bombing, MEA statement, Pakistan Army, Fitna-al-Khawarij, Afghanistan border violence, North Waziristan attack, terrorism in Pakistan