“Who Are Asifa Mengal & Hawa Baloch? The Two Women Now at the Centre of Balochistan’s Deadliest ‘Suicide’ Attacks”, The Sunday Guardian, February 02, 2026

“Pakistan’s long-running conflict in Balochistan has taken a striking and disturbing turn. After days of coordinated, high-intensity attacks across multiple regions, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has pushed two women to the forefront of its narrative, Asifa Mengal and Hawa Baloch.

Their emergence marks a shift in how the insurgent group projects its struggle, blending violence with symbolism. As Pakistan counts casualties from one of the deadliest security operations in years, these two names now dominate discussions around the future trajectory of the Baloch insurgency.

Pakistan’s security forces said they killed 145 militants in less than two days during operations in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The situation marks one of the most serious periods of violence in the region in recent times…..”

Read full article at sundayguardianlive.com