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13 soldiers killed, 10 injured as suicide bomber rams military convoy in northwest Pakistan, attack was carried out by…

13 soldiers killed, 10 injured as suicide bomber rams military convoy in northwest Pakistan, attack was carried out by…

India.com12 hours ago

A deadly suicide bombing in Pakistan's North Waziristan district killed 13 soldiers and injured 29 others, including civilians, local officials told news agency AFP. According to the government official, who did not want to be named, a man drove a vehicle filled with explosives into a military convoy. The huge blast killed 13 soldiers, wounded 10 more army men, and hurt 19 civilians nearby.
A police officer said the explosion was so strong it made the roofs of two homes fall in, injuring six children inside. Four of the wounded soldiers are in very serious condition.
The attack was carried out by the suicide bombing group of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Why has violence increased in Pakistan's border areas
Violence has increased sharply in Pakistan's border areas with Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Pakistan blames Afghanistan for letting armed groups use its land to plan attacks, though the Taliban denies this.
So far this year, about 290 people—most of them security forces—have been killed in attacks by militant groups in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to figures collected by AFP.
In March, the Pakistan Army said it killed 10 fighters linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after a suicide bombing at a Frontier Corps camp near the Jandola checkpost in South Waziristan, as reported by Geo News.
That same month, fighters from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express train near Gudalar and Piru Kunri. The attack killed 21 passengers and four members of the paramilitary force.
Terror-related deaths in Pakistan
Terror-related deaths in Pakistan have risen sharply. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 reports that Pakistan saw a 45 per cent increase in such fatalities, from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, making it the second worst-hit country in the world by terrorism.

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India-US trade talks need political push for final leg
India-US trade talks need political push for final leg

Hindustan Times

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  • Hindustan Times

India-US trade talks need political push for final leg

The fine print of a preliminary trade deal between India and the US has mostly been worked out by negotiators from both sides but the ball is now in the court of the political leadership to break a stalemate, people aware of the parleys told HT, disclosing two of the topmost sticking points that remain. Trade experts said an interim trade deal between India and the US is possible by July 9, provided both respect practical and political sensitivities of each other. (AFP File) According to these people, these issues are: an unequivocal assurance that New Delhi seeks from Washington that all punitive levies will be repealed, and a freer access to India's politically sensitive agriculture sector that the American side has sought. 'The two-day deliberation that started in Washington on Thursday will likely stretch over to next week,' one of these people, who has direct knowledge of the talks, told HT. Both sides are in a sprint to announce a breakthrough, which will be a preliminary deal covering some portion of the trade between two nations, with a larger bilateral trade deal expected to be signed by October. Once the deal is done, India wants America to withdraw all existing and potential retaliatory tariffs, including the 26% reciprocal tariff — this comprises a 10% baseline tariff imposed from April 5 and an additional 16% country-specific levy set to trigger from July 9. India also wants the US to revoke all safeguard duties disputed at the World Trade Organisation—50% on Indian steel and aluminium and 25% on automobiles and auto parts—and to reciprocate New Delhi's move by proportionately slashing its most favoured nation tariffs. 'Washington has not yet given any unequivocal commitment on these matters, which are crucial for Indian interests,' another person said. American negotiators have been suggesting India replicate the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal model, where Britain accepted continued 10% baseline tariffs on most goods while securing relief from additional sectoral tariffs. However, Indian negotiators have rejected this approach. The other sticking point is the US insistence on India opening its agriculture and farming sector. While the American side is open to tariff rate quotas (TRQ) — a mechanism under which concessional duty or duty-free access of any specified item applies to a limited quantity — their insistence on some sensitive sectors is a challenge. 'The problem lies in wanting India to also open its sensitive sectors. Dairy imports are restricted for two reasons. First, India's dairy farming is at a subsistence level with one or two cows or buffaloes. The livelihoods of millions of farmers are at stake as they could not compete with America's commercial-scale dairy farms. 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An interim India-US trade deal, mainly involving goods, is possible to conclude before July 9, depending on political resolution of the stalemate,' the second person said. The Indian negotiating team could extend its stay in Washington next week and the two parties would discuss contentious issues, depending on any political directive, according to the first person. The Indian negotiating team led by chief negotiator and special secretary-commerce Rajesh Agrawal was still in Washington on Saturday, indicating that talks may extend into next week. Trade experts said an interim trade deal between India and the US is possible by July 9, provided both respect practical and political sensitivities of each other. Global Trade Research Initiative founder Ajay Srivastava outlined a likely scenario: 'The more likely outcome is a limited trade pact—styled after the US-UK mini trade deal announced on May 8. 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The prudent move for Washington would be to respect Indian sensitivities and forge a deal for stronger strategic cooperation in future, he said, noting that 'agricultural goods account for less than 5% of US exports to India.' Another expert working in a multinational consulting firm said: 'Now it is the time for America to act as India has already given several concessions, making its intent clear for stronger and everlasting economic cooperation with the US.' After a week where tariffs took a back seat to the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and the massive tax and spending bill in the US Congress, the Trump administration's trade negotiations have picked up. News agency Reuters reported Washington had sent a new proposal to the EU on Thursday and held talks with Japan on Friday. Both India and Japan are in advanced negotiations.

Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers In Northwestern Pakistan
Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers In Northwestern Pakistan

India Gazette

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Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers In Northwestern Pakistan

At least 13 soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a military convoy in northwestern Pakistan. On June 28, officials in North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, said the bombing near the regions Mir Ali town during a curfew injured 10 more soldiers. At least 14 civilians were wounded in the attack. In Miran Shah, the regional headquarters, an official said the suicide bombing hit a military truck full of soldiers responsible for disposing of bombs and other explosives. Rahmatullah, a resident of Khadi village, the scene of the attack, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that the bombing happened at 6 a.m. local time. He said the powerful bomb injured many women and children and damaged civilian homes. Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, condemned the bombing. Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a local Pakistani Taliban faction in North Waziristan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The relatively small faction has claimed numerous deadly attacks in and around the rural town of Mir Ali in recent years. The restive district of North Waziristan borders Afghanistan. It is one of the regions most affected by the return of the Pakistani Taliban. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is the largest faction of the Pakistani Taliban. Thousands of its fighters have ramped up attacks on Pakistani security forces since the return to power of its allies, the Afghan Taliban, in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021. The TTPs violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has overshadowed relations between erstwhile allies Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad has repeatedly attacked alleged TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan and demanded that the Afghan Taliban rein in the group from its violent campaign against its security forces.

"Deserves contempt": MEA rejects Pakistan Army's claim over attack in Waziristan
"Deserves contempt": MEA rejects Pakistan Army's claim over attack in Waziristan

India Gazette

time32 minutes ago

  • India Gazette

"Deserves contempt": MEA rejects Pakistan Army's claim over attack in Waziristan

New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday strongly rejected the Pakistani Army's claims, where the latter blamed India for the attack that took place in Waziristan. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, 'Statement regarding Pakistan- 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.' Thirteen security personnel were killed in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district on Saturday, carried out by Fitna-al-Khawarij, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), The Dawn reported. Earlier, a statement from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Office confirmed that eight security personnel were killed in the blast. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and expressed his condolences and prayers for the personnel. District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed told The Dawn that four civilians were injured in the 'suicide attack' carried out through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The Dawn reported that the attack comes just days after two soldiers were killed and 11 terrorists were eliminated during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest bombing. The Dawn reported that the attack comes just days after two soldiers were killed and 11 terrorists were eliminated during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan. These incidents reflect a broader trend, as Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with a 45 per cent rise in terrorism-related deaths over the past year, reaching 1,081 fatalities. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies recorded 85 attacks in May, compared to 81 in April. (ANI)

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