Attack on Islamabad foiled as security forces arrest female suicide bomber: CM Bugti

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Monday announced that security forces had arrested a female suicide bomber during an intelligence-based operation (IBO), saying that the girl was reportedly being prepared for a suicide attack in Islamabad.

Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, CM Bugti said the minor girl was subjected to “psychological manipulation, coercion and threats” by terrorist elements. He stated that law enforcement agencies had rescued her through an IBO from the custody of the banned terrorist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which was linked to Fitna al-Hindustan.

“This timely operation not only saved the life of the girl but also prevented a major terrorist incident in the capital,” he said.

The chief minister emphasised that the case demonstrated how extremist networks exploited vulnerable youth, particularly women, using intimidation and emotional pressure, adding that she was now safely reunited with her father, a truck driver from a poor family.

He condemned the practice as a violation of both humanity and Baloch traditions, stressing that such acts did not represent the identity of the people of Balochistan.

CM Bugti reiterated that the province’s citizens were peaceful and should not be associated with extremist activities, adding that the girl was manipulated by individuals linked to a terrorist organisation and that her family had faced threats during the ordeal.

The chief minister further stated that “certain India-linked proxy networks and social media actors” were amplifying extremist narratives as part of a coordinated propaganda campaign.

CM Bugti commended the swift and professional response of law enforcement agencies, calling the rescue a “classic example of effective intelligence work”.

He vowed that operations against terrorist networks would continue at all levels and stressed that the exploitation of women and children would never be tolerated.

Providing details of operations against terrorists in recent months, CM Bugti said that security forces had intensified operations against terrorism in Balochistan, neutralising 216 terrorists and foiling several plots.

Adviser to the CM on Sports and Culture Meena Majid, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat, and Aide to the CM on Political and Media Affairs Shahid Rind were also present at the briefing.

In March, security forces successfully arrested another female suicide bomber in Khuzdar. CM Bugti said that the arrested woman made critical revelations during interrogation. “She confessed that she had been recruited by a terrorist commander, Qazi Ibrahim, who had trained her for a suicide bombing, later connected to a network through an individual named Diljan,” he had added.

The arrested suspect said she had been radicalised and prepared for a suicide mission by terrorist operatives. She revealed that she was not only assigned to carry out an attack but was also tasked with recruiting other young women for similar missions. She urged women to avoid becoming part of such activities.

Initial investigations suggested that the suspect had links with members of banned militant organisations and individuals involved in extremist networks. Officials said she was being connected with facilitators for further training and planning before her arrest.

The BLA has been increasingly involving women in its terrorist activities, including using them as suicide bombers against civilians and security forces. Reports suggest that the militant group is targeting vulnerable women, indoctrinating them for attacks aimed at disrupting peace and stability in Pakistan.

In recent years, security forces have arrested several female bombers who were blackmailed or coerced into becoming terrorists. Many of these women were manipulated or exploited by the BLA and forced to carry out suicide attacks.

In February, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department foiled a major terrorism plot in Dera Ismail Khan, arresting a female suicide bomber red-handed from Sheikh Yousaf Khema Basti in a timely operation conducted on confirmed intelligence.

In 2024, a Baloch woman, who was arrested in Turbat for planning a suicide attack, revealed that terrorists blackmailed and manipulated Baloch women into committing such acts.