Islamabad: At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed Saturday in a suicide bombing in the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, while 14 terrorists were killed by the military in subsequent operations, the Pakistani army said.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Pakistani army statement revealed that three civilians, including two children and a woman, were 'severely injured' in the attack. The Pakistani army accused India of orchestrating the attack, claiming it was planned by the Indian state and executed by its proxy group, Fitna al Khwarij, targeting a Security Forces convoy in Mir Ali, North Waziristan District.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry rejected these allegations. In an official response, the ministry stated, '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.'

This incident marks one of the deadliest single-day attacks on security forces in recent months within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 'strongly condemned' the attack and lauded the military for their swift response that resulted in the elimination of 14 terrorists, as per a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

A local militant group led by Hafiz Gulbahadar of North Waziristan claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Islamabad has been accusing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, allegedly based in Afghanistan, of conducting terrorist activities within Pakistan, an accusation that Kabul has consistently denied.