QUETTA, Pakistan: Security forces in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan have arrested a female suicide bomber in the district of Khuzdar, thwarting a major planned terror attack, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, CM Bugti said the operation, carried out with the help of human intelligence, prevented “major destruction” and saved lives.
He said the arrest is a significant success in Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
“This is a major victory in our fight against terrorism,” CM Bugti said, praising the role of security agencies and local residents who provided information.
خضدار کے علاقہ زہری کی رہائشی لائبہ کو خودکش حملہ کرنے کے لئے تیار کیا گیا تھا جس کو ہیومن انٹیلیجنس کی بنیاد پر بلوچستان کی عوام کے تعاون سے گرفتار کیا گیا ہے۔ https://t.co/cN8zWN618m
— Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) March 18, 2026
Suicide bomber confesses to recruitment and training
Bugti said the arrested woman, identified as Laiba, had confessed during initial interrogation to being recruited and trained for a suicide mission.
“She was recruited by a commander identified as Qazi Ibrahim and later linked to a network through an individual named Diljan,” he said.
The chief minister said the suicide bomber had been mentally prepared for the attack over the past three months.
She was tasked not only with carrying out a bombing but also with recruiting other young women.
Narrating her account, the female suicide bomber said she had been “brainwashed” by terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group.
She claimed she was directed to meet other terrorists, including individuals associated with groups such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, and to help train more women for similar missions.
Authorities said the suicide bomber had links with members of banned terrorist groups and was being connected to facilitators for further training before her arrest.
Use of women for terrorism
Bugti described the case as part of an “alarming trend” in which terrorist groups were targeting and exploiting women.
“The Baloch people are a peaceful nation, but some self-interested groups are steering them towards a senseless war,” he said, adding that such elements were misleading youth and pushing them towards violence.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement on X that the case exposed links between terrorist groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and the TTP.
He accused these terrorist groups of “brainwashing innocent youth” for terrorist agendas.
سیکیورٹی فورسز اور انٹیلیجنس اداروں کو اس کامیاب کارروائی پر خراجِ تحسین، جن کے بروقت ایکشن سے بڑا سانحہ ٹل گیا اور قیمتی جانیں بچ گئیں۔ لائبہ کیس نے ایک بار پھر بی ایل اے، بی ایل ایف، بی وائی سی اور ٹی ٹی پی کے گٹھ جوڑ کو بے نقاب کر دیا۔ یہ عناصر معصوم نوجوانوں کو برین واش کر کے… pic.twitter.com/x0RwOYTMTQ
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 18, 2026
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said terrorist groups such as the BLA and TTP often had “similar targets” and, in some cases, worked in collaboration.
“In many instances, they help each other in their respective operations,” he told Geo News, adding that women and children were increasingly being targeted through online radicalisation.
Women’s recruitment for suicide bombing
The BLA, a banned terrorist group, has in recent years been deploying female suicide bombers in attacks against civilians and security forces.
Officials say vulnerable women are often coerced, manipulated, or blackmailed into participating in such terrorist activities.
In previous cases, arrested suicide bombers have described being indoctrinated or forced into suicide missions.
Earlier in February, counter-terrorism authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrested another suicide bomber in Dera Ismail Khan during an intelligence-based operation.
In 2024, a woman identified as Adila Baloch, arrested in Turbat, similarly coercion and manipulation by terrorist networks.
Govt measures to prevent youth radicalisation
Bugti said the arrested suspect would be investigated in a secure facility, with female police officers handling the case to ensure her rights and dignity.
He added that authorities would also focus on rehabilitation and de-radicalisation efforts.
“This is the difference between terrorists and us — we uphold respect and dignity,” he said.
The provincial government also announced plans to expand education, employment opportunities, and community programmes aimed at preventing youth radicalisation.
Authorities intend to step up efforts to counter online propaganda and extremist messaging.
Bugti said improved intelligence-sharing had led to multiple successful operations in recent months, claiming that more than 1,000 “hardcore terrorists” had been neutralised in the past year.
He reaffirmed that security forces remained fully committed to eliminating terrorism and ensuring stability in the province.
