Islamabad: Balochistan has witnessed a dramatic shift in its ongoing insurgency, with women taking up arms against the Pakistan Army, making the province an increasingly formidable challenge for Islamabad. While some women, like Mehrang Baloch and journalist Shammi Deen Baloch, have chosen the path of peace, hundreds of Baloch women are now joining the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), signaling a new chapter in the conflict.
Women Combatants Take Center Stage
Last Friday night, Baloch insurgents launched a coordinated attack across 12 cities in Balochistan, targeting Pakistani military, police personnel, and government infrastructure. Reports claim over 200 Pakistani soldiers were killed. The striking aspect of these attacks was the prominent participation of women, armed with advanced firearms—a first in the region’s history of insurgency, where women were mostly involved in support or suicide roles.
Political scientist Ayesha Siddiqua notes, “The involvement of women in an insurgency reflects the extreme levels of oppression and personal loss they have endured.” Many women who have joined the BLA have lost husbands to military action, or have witnessed the disappearance or killing of male family members.
Profiles of Key Female Fighters
Among the women fighters highlighted after Friday’s attacks, 24-year-old Asifa Mangal stands out. She joined the BLA’s Majid Brigade on her 21st birthday and participated in an attack on the ISI headquarters in Nushki. BLA confirmed that she and another female fighter had decided to become fedayeen (suicide combatants) in January 2024. Videos circulating on social media show Asifa patrolling and firing around Pakistani security installations alongside her BLA comrades. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged the role of women in these assaults.
Escalating Challenges for Pakistan
The active involvement of women in armed insurgency has escalated the threat level in Balochistan. While some women continue advocating for peaceful dialogue, the majority are now committed to armed resistance. For instance, Mehrang Baloch, who pursued non-violent activism, has been imprisoned in Quetta since March 2025 for participating in a peaceful protest.
Historically, female participation in Baloch insurgency has included high-profile suicide attacks. In April 2022, 30-year-old Shari Baloch, a mother of two with a master’s degree, carried out a suicide bombing outside the Confucius Institute at Karachi University, killing three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani driver. In June 2022, Sumaiya Kalandarani, journalist and fiancée of the first male BLA suicide bomber Rehan Baloch, attacked a military convoy in Turbat.
The emergence of women fighters underscores the deep-seated grievances against the Pakistani military and signals a new, more unpredictable phase in the Balochistan conflict—where women are no longer just bystanders but active participants shaping the course of insurgency.