Twin bombings in India and Pakistan claim 20 lives, threatening fragile ceasefire

Wednesday 12 November 2025 - 16:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Twin bombings in India and Pakistan claim 20 lives, threatening fragile ceasefire

A pair of bombings in the capitals of India and Pakistan within a 24-hour span have left at least 20 dead, marking the most severe security breaches in over a decade and raising fears of renewed hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

In India, a car explosion near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort on Monday evening killed eight and injured 20, according to police reports. Hours later, a suicide bomber detonated outside a district court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday afternoon, killing 12 people and wounding 27, confirmed Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Investigations into possible terrorist links

The Indian government invoked its primary anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, to investigate the Delhi explosion. India’s National Investigation Agency has taken over the case. Reports suggest the blast involved a Hyundai i20 loaded with ammonium nitrate, though officials have yet to confirm if it was a deliberate attack.

The explosion came shortly after police arrested multiple suspects, including medical professionals, and seized 2,900 kilograms of explosives linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based militant group.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Islamabad court bombing, stating it targeted "judges, lawyers, and officials enforcing un-Islamic laws." However, the main Pakistani Taliban group denied involvement.

Accusations and escalating tensions

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused "India-supported terrorist proxies" of orchestrating the Islamabad bombing, though he provided no evidence. India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the accusations as “unsubstantiated and baseless.”

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared the country is “at war,” blaming the Afghan Taliban for allowing militants to operate from Afghan territory.

These developments come just six months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended four days of intense fighting between India and Pakistan in May 2025. That conflict was sparked by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26 tourists and prompting Indian missile strikes in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

Fragile ceasefire under strain

The twin attacks have prompted heightened security measures in both nations, with Indian authorities placing major cities, including Mumbai, on high alert. The bombings underscore the precariousness of the ceasefire and the ongoing security challenges posed by militant groups in the region.