&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Commitment to countering terrorism': US designates Balochistan Liberation Army, alias Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisation")
The United States has formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its faction, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). The State Department also listed the Majeed Brigade as an alias under the BLA’s existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status. The BLA was first designated as an SDGT in 2019 after a series of deadly attacks.
Attacks linked to BLA and Majeed Brigade
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group had continued its militant activities since 2019, including through the Majeed Brigade. He pointed to suicide bombings near Karachi airport and at the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024. More recently, in March 2025, the group claimed responsibility for hijacking the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express from Quetta. The attack left 31 civilians and security personnel dead, with over 300 passengers taken hostage.
Part of Trump administration’s counter-terrorism push
Rubio said the move reflects the Trump administration’s “commitment to countering terrorism” and stressed that designations are an important tool to restrict support for extremist groups. “Today’s actions are taken pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and Executive Order 13224, as amended. FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register,” the statement read.
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Long-running insurgency in Balochistan
The BLA, listed as a terrorist organisation by both the US and Pakistan, has been waging a decades-long insurgency against Islamabad. It demands independence for Balochistan, a resource-rich province in Pakistan’s southwest. The group accuses the Pakistani government of exploiting the region’s oil and mineral wealth while leaving the ethnic Baloch population to face poverty and discrimination.
US targets other Pakistan-based groups
The announcement follows a similar action last month against The Resistance Front (TRF), which Washington described as a “front and proxy” of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organisation based in Pakistan. The TRF had claimed responsibility for the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack in India. It has now been added to both the FTO and SDGT lists.
