Female Fidayeen And The Baloch Insurgency: How BLA Is Using Women in Suicide Missions Targeting Pak Forces And High-Security Prisons, Decoding The Rise

At least 33 people died in a wave of gun attacks and suicide bombings across Balochistan, Pakistan, on Saturday, Jan 31. The military says its forces fought back and killed 92 “terrorists.”

Operation Herof 2.0

According to The Guardian, Baloch insurgents hit civilian areas, a high-security prison, police stations, and paramilitary sites. The dead include 18 civilians, 15 security personnel, and, if you believe the military, 92 insurgents.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s biggest province by area, and for years, it’s been caught up in an insurgency. Armed Baloch groups say they’re fighting because the region gets ignored politically, left behind economically, and stripped of its resources.

Lately, women have stepped into combat roles too, even suicide missions.

The Baloch Liberation Army called its latest offensive Operation Herof 2.0, and it lasted 40 hours across Kharan, Mastung, Tump, Pasni, Quetta, and Noshki.

The group claims it pushed back Pakistani troops, saying it killed over 200 security personnel and captured 17 more, though none of that’s confirmed.

Balochistan’s Chief Minister put the number of security personnel killed at 17, with 31 civilian deaths.

Female suicide bombers were right at the heart of the attacks. Out of 18 BLA fighters killed, 11 were women. Among them was Asifa Mengal, who targeted the ISI headquarters in Noshki, and Hawa Baloch, who was active on the Gwadar Front.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, confirmed at least two of the attacks involved women.

Women As Suicide Bombers

The initial Baloch rebellion was male defined and suicide attacks were uncommon and disapproved. Suicide missions have been extended to Baloch groups since 2022 with women being the first target.

Historically, female insurgents had been involved indirectly in activities such as political message dissemination, fundraising, family support or rights-based demonstrations.

The BLA began to conduct the first confirmed female suicide bombings in the Baloch insurgency in April 2022, with additional examples in the following three years.

Behind BLA attacks, women fidayeens

The BLA published the photos of two female militants who took part in recent attacks. The group recognized that its 18 fighters had been killed, four of them were fidayeen, or suicide bombers, of the Majeed Brigade, four fighters of Fateh Squad and three fighters of the STOS unit, said NDTV.

In a different release, a fidayeen was declared as Asifa Mengal who launched a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) to the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) headquarters in Noshki.

The BLA said Asifa Mengal became a member of the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army on October 2, 2023, and made her fidayee decision in January 2024, before dying on Friday.

The other female attacker is not known by name, although. There is a video where she is mocking about the Pakistani government, other militants of the BLA.

In November, 2025, Zareena Rafiq, a female suicide bomber sent by the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) stormed into the heavily-guarded compound of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the mineral-rich Chaghi district in the town of Nokundi.

She was also referred to as Trang Mahoo when she blasted herself to the barricade in order to aid the rebel forces get into the main compound, where she killed at least six Pakistani staff in the attempt.

According to The Diplomat article, the BLF was the third and the subsequent separatist group of the Baloch, following the BLA-Jeeyand and its opposing wing, the BLA-Azad, that used the female suicide bombers.

In March last, a suicide bombing was executed by Mahikan Baloch of BLA-Azad in a paramilitary convoy in Kalat, Balochistan.

Why Militant Groups Are Using Women

In Balochistan, where tradition runs deep, and men usually call the shots, it hits hard when a woman steps forward to carry out a suicide attack. Militants use this to send a loud message: things have gotten so bad, even women, who are usually kept out of the fight, are now willing to turn to violence. It’s also a way to push men, almost taunting them, saying, “Look, if women can do this, why aren’t you joining us?”

This isn’t just a one-off thing. Rival Baloch groups have picked up on it, too. Back in 2018, BLA-Jeeyand’s leader, Aslam Baloch, sent his own son, Rehan, to carry out a suicide bombing against Chinese engineers. BLA-Azad called them out for it at first.

But six years later, BLA-Azad used Mahikan Baloch, a woman, in the same kind of mission. So, the idea has spread, and everyone’s paying attention.

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