The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has claimed responsibility for a recent wave of deadly and highly coordinated attacks across Pakistan’s Balochistan province, has released photographs of two of its so-called fidayee (suicide) attackers. Notably, both of the attackers identified by the group are women, marking a striking and alarming development in the ongoing insurgency.
According to the BLA, one of the attackers has been identified as 24-year-old Asifa Mengal. The large-scale assault resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 people, including at least 17 members of the security forces. In response to the attacks, Pakistani security agencies launched an extensive counter-operation that lasted around 40 hours, during which more than 140 militants were killed, as stated by Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that at least two of the attacks involved female perpetrators, underlining the unusual and escalatory nature of the violence.
In a statement, the banned BLA said that Asifa Mengal was the daughter of Mohammad Ismail and a resident of Nushki district in Balochistan. She was born on October 2, 2002, and, according to the group, joined the BLA’s elite suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, on her 21st birthday. The group claimed that she decided to become a fidayee in January 2024 and carried out an attack targeting the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Nushki on Saturday.
The identity of the second woman attacker has not yet been officially disclosed. However, a video circulating online reportedly shows her shortly before the attack. In the footage, she is seen alongside male BLA members, mocking the Pakistani government while holding a large firearm. In the video, she accuses the state of exerting power only over what she describes as oppressed women, while claiming that the government lacks the capacity to confront Baloch fighters directly.
Speaking in the Balochi language, the woman urges what she calls the awakening of the Baloch nation and calls for unity with Baloch Sarmachars (fighters). She declares that there can be no compromise with what she terms the “enemy,” praising those who sacrifice their lives in suicide attacks while condemning individuals she accuses of spying on militants for small sums of money.
This coordinated assault is being described as one of the deadliest flare-ups in Balochistan in recent years. Pakistan’s Junior Minister Talal Chaudhry said the attackers disguised themselves as civilians and entered public spaces such as schools, banks, markets, and hospitals before opening fire, adding to the scale of fear and disruption.
The attacks reportedly began late on Friday night and continued through Saturday. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said incidents were reported from several regions, including Nushki, Hub, Chaman, Naseerabad, Gwadar, and Makran. Chief Minister Bugti stated that authorities had prior intelligence suggesting such an operation was being planned, which helped security forces mount a rapid counter-offensive.
The BLA announced on Saturday that it had launched the second phase of an operation it calls “Herof” (Black Storm), aimed at security forces across Balochistan. The Pakistani military, however, said its forces successfully thwarted attempts by militants to seize control of any city or major strategic installation.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet poorest province, shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran and has been plagued by a decades-long insurgency. Baloch separatist groups have long demanded independence or, at minimum, greater political autonomy and a larger share of the region’s natural resource revenues, making the province a persistent flashpoint for violence and instability.
