Overview
- Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif said the country is ready for war on two fronts, naming India to the east and Afghanistan to the west.
- Asif characterized the Islamabad suicide bombing as a message from Kabul, even as the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 12 and injured 36.
- He dismissed the deadly car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort as a gas cylinder incident and accused India of politicising it, claims Indian officials rejected as a deflection.
- Indian security agencies said the Delhi blast bore hallmarks of a terror strike, with preliminary findings pointing to military‑grade explosives and possible cross‑border coordination.
- Reports vary on the Delhi death toll, with at least 10 people confirmed dead, as Indian officials signal they will emphasize forensic findings to international partners.