The United States has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO).
The announcement by the State Department follows a string of high-profile attacks in Pakistan and elevates the group’s previous designation as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) from 2019.
The move is seen as a major diplomatic win for Pakistan, which has long been seeking international recognition of the BLA as a terrorist entity.
The BLA is a Baloch ethno-nationalist militant group that emerged in the early 2000s, aiming to establish an independent Balochistan province separate from Pakistan. They have historically targeted Pakistani security forces, government infrastructure, and foreign nationals.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, is rich in natural resources, and the BLA alleges that the federal government has exploited these resources while neglecting the local population.
The group has been listed as a terrorist organisation by multiple countries, including Pakistan, China, and the United Kingdom, even before this recent US designation.
Pakistan has frequently accused India of supporting the BLA, a claim that India denies.
The Majeed Brigade is the BLA’s suicide squad, responsible for some of the group’s most lethal attacks.
Named after a Baloch militant who attempted to assassinate a former Pakistani prime minister, the brigade has been the face of the BLA’s most aggressive operations. Since 2018, the Majeed Brigade has reportedly conducted numerous suicide attacks against Pakistani military, police, and civilians.
The US designation was prompted by several recent attacks attributed to the BLA.
In 2024, the group claimed responsibility for suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and at the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. More recently, in March 2025, the BLA claimed to have hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. This attack resulted in the deaths of 31 people and the capture of over 300 hostages.
The U.S. designation makes it a crime to provide material support to the group from within the US and freezes any assets it holds under US jurisdiction, significantly hampering its ability to operate.
