Who Are Asifa Mengal And Hawa Baloch – The Two Women Suicide Bombers Behind Balochistan’s ‘Herof’ Operation?

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a series of large-scale, coordinated attacks across multiple cities and towns in Pakistan’s southwestern province. The militant group released images of two of the attackers, both women, including 24-year-old Asifa Mengal. The attacks killed nearly 50 people, including at least 17 security personnel, according to reports, prompting a massive counter-operation by Pakistani forces.

Asifa Mengal, Hawa Baloch: Who Are The Two Baloch Suicide Attackers?

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, confirmed that two of the attacks involved female perpetrators.

The BLA identified one of them as Asifa Mengal, daughter of Mohammad Ismail, a resident of Nushki, Balochistan. Born on October 2, 2002, Mengal joined the BLA’s Majeed Brigade on her 21st birthday, October 2, 2023. According to the BLA, she chose to become a ‘fidayee’ (suicide attacker) in January 2024 and targeted the ISI headquarters in Nushki on Saturday.

Also Read: ‘Baseless Allegations’: India Pushes Back After Pakistan Accuses It Of Role In Balochistan Attacks Amid BLA’s Operation Herof 2.0

Another female attacker, Hawa Baloch, also known as Drushom, was involved in the BLA’s Operation Herof 2 in Gwadar. She was the daughter of Nabi Bakash Baloch, a BLA member killed in 2021, and hailed from the Kohad area of Tump in Kech.

Baloch Suicide Attacker Hawa Baloch Seen In Video Before Attack

 A video circulating online shows Hawa Baloch before the attack, taunting the Pakistani government alongside male BLA fighters. In Balochi, she says:

“They only show their power over our oppressed mothers and sisters; they can’t confront us directly. It’s beyond their capacity. We just need to awaken ourselves; the Baloch nation needs to awaken. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Baloch Sarmachars. The enemy’s days are numbered; they don’t have much strength. The Baloch nation must understand that there can be absolutely no compromise with this enemy. Look, today our fighters are sacrificing their lives, blowing themselves to pieces, yet some still spy on them for a few pennies.”

What Is Happening In Balochistan?

The attacks, which began on Friday night and continued into Saturday, have been described as one of the deadliest in years in Balochistan, a province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. According to Pakistan’s Junior Minister Talal Chaudhry, the attackers, dressed as civilians, entered schools, banks, markets, and hospitals before opening fire.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind reported that attacks were recorded in multiple regions, including Nushki, Hub, Chaman, Naseerabad, Gwadar, and Makran. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that authorities had prior intelligence of an operation of this scale, enabling a coordinated counterattack.

Operation Herof 2: BLA’s Coordinated Assault

The BLA said Saturday that it had launched the second phase of its operation, dubbed Herof (Black Storm), targeting security forces across Balochistan. The Pakistani military stated that security forces successfully repelled militants’ attempts to seize control of any city or strategic installation.

The BLA claimed that more than 200 personnel from the Pakistan Army, police, and Frontier Corps were killed, with at least 17 individuals captured. The group described these numbers as “preliminary and cautious estimates,” suggesting actual losses might be higher.

These claims remain unverified, but Chief Minister Bugti confirmed that 17 law enforcement personnel and 31 civilians died in the attacks. Pakistan’s military reported 92 militants killed on Saturday and 41 on Friday, totaling 133 fatalities among attackers.

Also Read: Balochistan Burns Again: 145 Killed In 40 Hours, Pakistan Army Loses Control – What Is Operation Herof?