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The group said the attack marked the first armed action by KAAD, which it described as its newly established female unit
A poster of the Karima Armed Assault Division (KAAD). (News18)
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed that its newly formed female armed unit carried out its first operation, ambushing a Pakistani military convoy near Turbat in Balochistan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said fighters of the Karima Armed Assault Division (KAAD) targeted a convoy of the Pakistani Army’as Action Task Force on the CPEC highway near Jusak, close to Turbat.
The BLF described the operation as a “multi-pronged” and pre-planned attack, claiming that several Pakistani military personnel were killed and wounded and that military vehicles were damaged. The claims have not been independently verified.
The group said the attack marked the first armed action by KAAD, which it described as its newly established female unit. Baloch said the group would release a detailed statement on the operation, including the losses it claims to have inflicted and the military objectives of the new formation.
The development is significant against the backdrop of a growing role for women in Baloch militant organisations. Reports say women’s participation in the Baloch insurgency has increasingly moved beyond political activism and support roles into direct involvement in armed operations.
The shift became particularly visible after Shari Baloch carried out a suicide attack at Karachi University’s Confucius Institute in April 2022, killing three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Since then, several women have been linked to attacks attributed to Baloch armed groups.
According to The Diplomat, women were subsequently involved in attacks attributed to BLA factions, including a suicide attack targeting a military convoy in Turbat in June 2023, a vehicle-borne attack on a Frontier Corps facility in Bela in August 2024 and another suicide attack targeting a paramilitary convoy in Kalat in March 2025.
The trend later extended to the BLF. In November 2025, a woman identified as Zareena Rafiq carried out a vehicle-borne attack against a Frontier Corps facility in Nokundi, according to the analysis. The BLA also publicised the participation of female operatives during its January-February 2026 offensive, which it called Operation Herof 2.0.
The latest development also follows the BLA’s announcement in May of a dedicated women’s wing, with Shaynaz Baloch named as its commander. The formation of that wing was described as a further formalisation of women’s growing operational role within Baloch militancy.
The BLF and BLA are among the principal Baloch separatist armed groups operating in Balochistan. The groups have carried out or claimed attacks against Pakistani security forces as well as Chinese-linked infrastructure and personnel in the province.
The CPEC route has particular significance because Balochistan is home to Gwadar Port and other major projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Baloch militant groups have repeatedly targeted Chinese interests and infrastructure in the province.
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Ask News18The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) stated that its newly established female armed unit, known as the Karima Armed Assault Division (KAAD), carried out a multi-pronged attack on a Pakistani military convoy near Turbat.
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Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
Islamabad, Pakistan
September 23, 2026, 1:38 PM IST
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