Pakistan Blames India for Deadly Suicide Bombing; New Delhi Dismisses Claim as Baseless

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday strongly rejected Pakistan’s attempt to blame New Delhi for the deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan, calling the accusation “baseless” and dismissing it with “the contempt it deserves.”

“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 sharply worded statement.

The suicide bombing, one of the deadliest in the region in recent months, killed at least 14 soldiers and injured 25 others—including civilians—on Saturday in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan district. The attack struck a military convoy in Khadi village, despite a curfew imposed to allow security forces free movement.

According to early investigations cited by the Associated Press, nearly 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of explosives were used in the blast, which also caused extensive damage to nearby homes.

Pakistan’s military claimed 13 soldiers were killed and three civilians wounded, though other reports suggest the number of injured civilians is higher, with children among the victims.

In its official statement, the Pakistan Army alleged Indian involvement in the attack but provided no supporting evidence. The accusation comes amid already strained ties between the two nations.

Responsibility for the bombing was claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban known to operate in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The region is a known hotspot for banned militant groups that frequently target Pakistani security forces.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group is considered especially dangerous, with analysts warning of its growing influence and deadly capabilities. In March, security expert Abdullah Khan described the group as “more dangerous” than the larger Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) umbrella, which has long waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state.

While Islamabad has often blamed external forces, particularly India and Afghanistan, for unrest within its borders, Kabul has denied offering shelter to such militant groups, and India has repeatedly rejected such allegations as unsubstantiated.