Washington :
The United States has formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its militant wing, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the State Department announced on Monday. The move adds the Majeed Brigade as an official alias to BLA’s earlier Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status, imposed in 2019.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the designation follows a series of deadly attacks claimed by the BLA and its Majeed Brigade unit. Since its 2019 designation, the group has taken responsibility for multiple assaults, including suicide bombings near Karachi’s airport and at the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024.
This year, the BLA claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express passenger train en route from Quetta to Peshawar, an incident in which 31 civilians and security personnel were killed and more than 300 passengers were taken hostage.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the latest action underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to combating terrorism. “Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” he said in a statement.
The designations were made under Section 219 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. They will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register.
