Explained: Rise Of Women Suicide Bombers In Baloch Militancy In Pakistan

A series of gun attacks and multiple suicide bombings killed at least 33 people in Pakistan's Balochistan on Saturday. The Pakistani military said that its forces responded to the violence, killing 92 "terrorists".

The Baloch insurgents targeted civilians, a high-security prison, police stations and paramilitary installations, according to a report in The Guardian. Among those killed were 18 civilians, 15 security personnel and 92 insurgents, the military said.

The Baloch Insurgency

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, has long been in a vortex of insurgency, with armed Baloch groups saying their fight is against political marginalisation, economic neglect, and exploitation of their resources.

In recent years, women have increasingly taken up active combat roles, including suicide bombings.

Roots Of The Baloch Insurgency

Baloch militancy is driven by nationalist and separatist groups demanding greater autonomy or independence for Balochistan. Groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) accuse Islamabad of resource exploitation and political marginalisation.

Pakistan labels these groups as terrorist organisations, blaming their actions on foreign influence and criminal networks.

Operation Herof Phase II

The BLA's Operation Herof Phase II was a 40-hour offensive across Kharan, Mastung, Tump, Pasni, Quetta, and Noshki.

The group claimed to have “repelled” Pakistani forces, with over 200 security personnel killed and 17 captured, though unverified.

Balochistan's Chief Minister reported 17 security and 31 civilian deaths.

Female ‘fidayeens' (suicide bombers) played a key role, with 11 of the 18 BLA fighters killed being women, including Asifa Mengal, who attacked the ISI HQ in Noshki, and Hawa Baloch, active on the Gwadar Front.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that at least two attacks involved women.

Women As Suicide Bombers

The early Baloch insurgency was male-dominated, with suicide attacks rare and often criticised. Since 2022, Baloch groups have embraced suicide missions, placing women at the forefront.

Traditionally, women associated with the insurgency played indirect roles like spreading political messaging, raising funds, supporting families of fighters, or participating in rights-based protests.

In April 2022, the BLA carried out the first confirmed female suicide bombing in the Baloch insurgency, followed by more cases over the next three years.

Female Suicide Attacks

Shari Baloch - April 2022

The first confirmed female suicide bomber in Baloch militancy, Shari Baloch, attacked the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, killing several Chinese instructors and a Pakistani driver. She was a 30-year-old schoolteacher from Turbat, a mother of two, with an MSc in Zoology and enrolled in an MPhil programme.

Sumaiya Qalandrani Baloch - June 2023

She carried out a suicide attack on a military convoy in Turbat. Previously, she had worked in the BLA's media wing and was engaged to Rehan Baloch.

Mahal Baloch - August 2024

Reportedly conducted a car-bomb attack at the gate of an FC camp in Bela.

Mahikan Baloch - March 2025

Carried out a suicide attack targeting a paramilitary convoy in Kalat.

All four were linked to the BLA, and most came from educated, middle-class backgrounds.

The Nokundi Attack

In November 2025, Zareena Rafiq, also known as Tarang Maho, drove a bomb-laden vehicle into the Frontier Corps headquarters in Nokundi, Chaghi district. She was identified by the BLF as a member of its newly formed Sado Operational Battalion.

The attack was the BLF's first confirmed use of a female suicide bomber, making it the third major Baloch group, after rival BLA factions, to adopt the tactic.

Why Militant Groups Are Using Women

In Balochistan's patriarchal society, a woman carrying out a suicide attack sends a message. Terrorists frame it as proof that repression has pushed even women to take up extreme violence. Women's participation is also used to shame men into joining the insurgency.

The tactic has spread across rival Baloch groups. In 2018, BLA-Jeeyand leader Aslam Baloch deployed his son, Rehan Baloch, in a suicide attack targeting Chinese engineers, which BLA-Azad initially criticised. Six years later, BLA-Azad used Mahikan Baloch in a similar mission.