Washington/Islamabad (Web Desk): The United States (US) has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), a decision welcomed by Pakistan as a significant step in its ongoing battle against terrorism.
This announcement, made by the US State Department on Monday, reinforces earlier actions taken against the BLA and is expected to come into effect following its publication in the Federal Register.
In a statement, the State Department emphasized that the decision reflects the US administration’s determination to confront global terrorism.
The designation, which falls under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, is aimed at cutting off financial and logistical support to terrorist entities. By adding the Majeed Brigade as an alias under the BLA’s already existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status from 2019, the US is tightening its measures against the group's operational wings.
First blacklisted in 2019, the BLA has continued to carry out high-impact attacks, particularly targeting civilians and military personnel within Pakistan. Its use of the Majeed Brigade for complex suicide missions has made it one of the most lethal groups in the region.
Among the most notable incidents was a coordinated suicide bombing near Karachi airport and another at the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024.
The group also claimed responsibility for the deadly hijacking of the Jaffar Express earlier this year, which resulted in the deaths of 31 people, including security forces, and saw hundreds of passengers taken hostage.
Known for its violent separatist campaign in Balochistan, the BLA has gained international attention for employing tactics such as suicide bombings, targeted killings, and assaults on critical infrastructure.
The Majeed Brigade, named after a militant figure from the 1970s Baloch insurgency, functions as the group’s elite suicide unit. Over the past decade, it has been behind several high-profile operations, many of which have specifically targeted Chinese nationals and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pakistan has consistently accused the BLA of receiving external support aimed at undermining its stability, especially in Balochistan.
With the US now formally declaring the group as a terrorist organization, Islamabad sees this as a validation of its concerns and a crucial step toward global cooperation in countering such threats.
The designation also empowers US authorities to freeze assets, impose travel restrictions, and prosecute individuals who assist or finance the group’s activities.