In one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent months, at least 13 Pakistani security personnel were killed and over two dozen others injured in a suicide car bombing in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan district on Saturday. The incident took place in Mir Ali area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area which has seen a rise in militant violence in recent times. Reports also confirmed civilian casualties. According to regional police, at least six children and several women were injured when the massive blast destroyed the roofs of nearby houses.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack as reported by AFP. The attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy traveling through Khadi village despite a security curfew in place. It was found during a preliminary inquiry that close to 800 kilograms of explosive material were utilized in the attack, which also damaged nearby civilian homes.

Pakistan Attributes Blame to India, But Provides No Evidence

Within hours of the attack, Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) accused India of sponsoring the suicide attack. India has been accused by it of destabilizing Pakistan. In a statement, the Pakistan Army committed to eliminating what it termed "Indian-sponsored terrorism," accusing New Delhi of destabilizing Pakistan. “The security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country,” the statement read as cited by the Dawn.

India's Ministry of External Affairs strongly refuted Islamabad's allegation. "We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army trying to blame India for the 28 June attack in Waziristan. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal replied in an official X (formerly Twitter) post. India maintains that instead of levelling "preposterous" charges in the absence of evidence, Pakistan needs to work towards dismantling terror groups that function from within its own soil.

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President Zardari and PM Sharif Denounce 'Cowardly' Attack

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari denounced the attack, paying respects to the 13 dead soldiers. "The martyrs defended the motherland at the cost of their lives. This cowardly attack cannot lower the morale of the nation," he stated. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared similar sentiments, referring to the bombing as a "cowardly act." Military Chief General Asim Munir vowed that the perpetrators of the attack would be held accountable.

The violence in northwestern Pakistan has escalated since the Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021. Islamabad often accuses the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan of providing shelters to anti-Pakistan militant organisations, a charge that Kabul denies.

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Earlier this year, the TTP had announced a "spring offensive," carrying out ambushes, suicide attacks, and targeted assassinations against Pakistani security forces. Official reports show that close to 290 individuals, mostly security personnel, have lost their lives in terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in 2025 so far.