QUETTA: Security forces have foiled an alleged plan by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to use two underage girls in a suicide attack after apprehending them during an intelligence-based operation, officials said.
According to details shared at a press conference in Quetta, 16-year-old Zainab and her 12-year-old cousin Fatima were taken into protective custody while allegedly being transferred between locations linked to the militant network.
Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau, who addressed the media alongside the girls, said the operation was based on precise intelligence and highlighted the role of security and law-enforcement agencies in preventing militant plots before they can materialize.
During the briefing, officials described the circumstances through which the two girls were allegedly drawn into the network. Zainab said her husband, Saif, was killed by a local BLA commander after allegedly refusing to cooperate with the group. She further claimed that several other members of her family were also killed.
Officials said the girls were subsequently exposed to emotional manipulation and militant propaganda, allegedly being encouraged to seek revenge for the deaths of their relatives. Fatima was reportedly drawn into the network after losing her father in an alleged militant attack and remaining close to Zainab.
According to the account presented at the briefing, the two girls travelled to a concealed location where they remained for around 40 days. Officials said they were subjected to violence during their stay and were repeatedly prevented from meeting the local commander directly.
Authorities said the alleged plan was ultimately disrupted when security forces acted on intelligence while the girls were being moved between covert locations.
Given their ages and the circumstances surrounding their alleged recruitment, officials said the state opted for a rehabilitative approach rather than strict legal action. The girls were reunited with their families and given an opportunity to return to normal life.
Officials also condemned the alleged recruitment of minors for militant activities, saying the use of children in suicide attacks violates humanitarian principles as well as Islamic and cultural values.
The girls reportedly thanked the security forces for saving their lives and appealed for forgiveness from the government and the public.
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