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One has been identified as Hawa Baloch, whose father was a BLA fighter killed by Pakistani security forces in 2021, and the other Asifa Mengal, born in 2002, who carried out the suicide attack on the alleged ISI camp in Nushki.
Both Gen Z women were educated before joining the insurgency, reflecting the growing trend of young, educated women participating in the decades-long Baloch separatist movement.
The attacks come amid heightened violence in Balochistan, where the BLA has been targeting security installations and public spaces as part of its campaign against the Pakistani state.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has released photographs of two suicide attackers involved in a deadly and coordinated assault across Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Both attackers were women, a development that highlights a significant and disturbing shift in the tactics used by Baloch insurgent groups. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attacks, which it described as part of the second phase of its operation named “Herof” (Black Storm), targeting Pakistani security forces across the province.
One of the attackers has been identified as 24-year-old Asifa Mengal, daughter of Mohammad Ismail and a resident of Nushki district. According to the BLA, Mengal was born on October 2, 2002, joined the group’s elite suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, on her 21st birthday, and volunteered for a “fidayee” (suicide) mission in January 2024. The militant group claimed that she carried out an attack targeting the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Nushki. The identity of the second woman attacker has not yet been disclosed.
A video released by the BLA shows the second female attacker, Hawa Baloch, moments before the assault, standing alongside armed male militants. Speaking in Balochi, she is seen mocking the Pakistani government, accusing it of oppressing Baloch women while lacking the ability to confront insurgents directly. In the footage, she calls on the Baloch population to awaken and unite with Baloch fighters, rejecting any compromise with the Pakistani state. The video has drawn attention for its propaganda value and the prominent role given to women in militant messaging.
The coordinated attacks, which began on Friday night and continued into Saturday, killed nearly 50 people, including at least 17 security personnel. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that two of the attacks involved female perpetrators. Following the assaults, Pakistani security forces launched a massive counter-operation lasting nearly 40 hours. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that more than 140 militants had been killed so far, adding that intelligence agencies had prior information about a large-scale operation being planned.
According to provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind, attacks were reported from several regions, including Nushki, Hub, Chaman, Naseerabad, Gwadar and Makran. Pakistan’s Junior Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said militants entered public spaces such as schools, markets, banks and hospitals while dressed as civilians. The Pakistani military said security forces successfully prevented militants from capturing any city or strategic installation.