India slams Pak for seeking to blame it for suicide attack in Waziristan

India blasted Pakistan on Saturday night for attempting to blame it for a suicide attack in the Waziristan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

"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. 

  At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 others injured in a suicide attack on Saturday in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security sources said.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit early this morning in Khaddi village in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, the sources added.

Among the 24 injured are 14 civilians, including women and children, with several said to be in critical condition.

A curfew was imposed in the area at the time of the incident due to ongoing military movement, sources said.

Security agencies launched a rescue operation following the explosion.

The militant group Usud al-Harb, a sub-faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, has claimed responsibility for the attack, they added. 

Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has strongly condemned the suicide attack.

We salute the brave security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, said the chief minister.

This incident is being described as one of the deadliest in North Waziristan in recent months and has raised serious concerns about the security situation in the region.