Waziristan attack: India slams Pakistan for attempting to shift blame; MEA says, 'We reject this statement with...'

India blasted Pakistan on Saturday (June 28) for attempting to blame it for a suicide attack in the Waziristan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least 14 security personnel were killed and 25 others, including many civilians, were injured in the bomb 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 in a statement posted on social media. “We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves," it added.

800 kilograms explosives used
Authorities in Pakistan blamed the attack on India, however, they did not share any evidence. The bombing struck a military vehicle in Khadi village on Saturday afternoon despite a curfew that had been imposed in the area to facilitate the movement of security forces. A preliminary investigation found that about 800 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack, media reports said. Among those wounded were 15 Army personnel and 10 civilians, including several children. The bombing marked one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years.

Pak Taliban claims responsibility
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a faction of the militant outfit Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has seen the emergence several banned militant groups that often target security officials. Islamabad accuses the neighbouring Afghanistan of backing these outfits, an allegation that Kabul denies. The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella body of several militant groups, has long strived to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish its own version of Islamic rule.