Balochistan violence brings female ‘fidayeen’ tactic into focus

The latest alleged attacks by insurgents in Balochistan which according to the Pakistani Army has led to the deaths of at least 15 Pakistani soldiers and 92 militants has brought the use of female suicide bombers or ‘fidayeens' by the Baloch rebels in focus.

The Pakistan Army said the militants attempted to disturb peace by carrying out terrorist activities in and around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan and Panjgur. Even Pakistani Minister Khawaja Asif has reportedly confirmed that at least two of the attacks informed women.

April, 2022 female ‘fidayeen' attack

The use of female suicide bombers by the Baloch insurgent groups was reported in April, 2022 when the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out a suicide attack at the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi which resulted in the deaths of several Chinese instructions and a Pakistani driver, reported NDTV.

Also Read: Chinese troops may enter Balochistan soon: Baloch leader to Jaishankar

The report further stated that the attack was carried out by a 30-year-old schoolteacher from Turbat who had enrolled into am MPhil program.

Attacks in Turbat, Bela, Kalat

In June 2023, Sumaiya Qalandrani Baloch carried out a suicide attack on a military convoy in Turbat. She had earlier worked with the Baloch Liberation Army’s media wing and was engaged to Rehan Baloch, according to reports.

Also Read: Explosions targeting Jaffar Express, other train disrupt rail traffic in Pak's Balochistan

Another woman, Mahal Baloch, was reported to have carried out a car-bomb attack in August 2024 at the gate of a Frontier Corps camp in Bela.

In March 2025, Mahikan Baloch carried out a suicide attack on a paramilitary convoy in Kalat. Security assessments have linked all four women involved in such attacks to the BLA, noting that most of them came from educated, middle-class backgrounds.

The Nokundi incident

A similar incident was reported later in November 2025, when Zareena Rafiq, also known as Tarang Maho, drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the Frontier Corps headquarters in Nokundi in Chaghi district. She was identified by the Baloch Liberation Front as a member of its newly constituted Sado Operational Battalion.

The Nokundi incident marked the first confirmed instance of the BLF deploying a female suicide bomber, making it the third major Baloch militant group, after rival BLA factions, to adopt the tactic.

Why female ‘fidayeens'

According to an NDTV report, analysts say the use of women in such attacks carries a strong symbolic message in Balochistan’s deeply patriarchal society.

Militant groups project it as evidence that alleged repression has driven even women to resort to extreme violence, while also using female participation to pressure men into joining the insurgency.

Also Read: Pakistani security forces foil yet another attack bid on Jaffar Express

The tactic has gradually spread across competing Baloch factions. In 2018, BLA-Jeeyand leader Aslam Baloch sent his son, Rehan Baloch, on a suicide mission targeting Chinese engineers, a move that was initially criticised by the BLA-Azad faction.

Years later, the same faction deployed Mahikan Baloch in a similar attack, reflecting a shift in its operational approach.

India trashes Pak allegations

However, Pakistan has blamed India over the latest attack, an allegation firmly denied by New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday (February 1) said it is Islamabad's usual tactics to deflect attention from its "internal failings".

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, trashing the charges, also highlighted Pakistan's record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights.

‘Pakistan’s usual tactics’

"We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings," he said.

Also Read: Salman Khan’s ‘Balochistan’ remark sparks social media storm

Jaiswal was responding to Pakistan military's unsubstantiated claim that India was supporting terrorist elements in their attempts to disturb peace in Balochistan.

"Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known," he added.

(With agency inputs)