The history of Fidayee [self-sacrificing] attacks for political objectives is quite ancient in the world. Amir Rana, the director of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies and an expert on extremism and militancy, sheds light on the topic in the wake of the fidayee attacks by Baloch pro-indepnedence armed groups.
According to Rana, secular movements also have a chain of fidayee missions, whether it be Japan or the famed Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka.
He said, the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka did not originate fidayee actions themselves; rather, they drew inspiration from historical precedents, particularly from Greece. “Such movements often echo one another. One common perception is that there are religious influences in self-scarificing attacks, while there are also strong influences and traditions of nationalism involved in them.
Amir Rana says the Baloch Liberation Front initiated a series of fidayee attacks in Iran in the 1970s. Initially directed against the Shah of Iran, these actions later evolved in response to the political upheavals following the Iranian revolution, manifesting in targeted campaigns within the cities.
Rana underscores the escalating intensity of fidayee attacks within Baloch militancy in Pakistan. He attributes this trend to various factors, including the increasing involvement of educated youth in the movement and the accessibility of information regarding global guerrilla movements. Due to which, these militants are aware that what sort of attacks would be powerful to get the attention of the international media.
According to him, “even if the mission itself fails, it still gets enough coverage to become an issue for the state because the purpose of these attacks is to convey a message, in which they remain successful.”