The State Department on Monday officially designated the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army as a “foreign terrorist organization,” significantly ramping up pressure against the militant group.
The BLA, also known as the Majeed Brigade, was previously categorized as a “specially designated global terrorist organization” back in 2019. Monday’s designation adds the Majeed Brigade as a known alias of BLA.
An FTO label is a much harsher designation and provides the State Department with new tools to combat the group’s influence internationally. Specifically, U.S. citizens are barred from knowingly supporting FTO organizations financially or otherwise, and financial institutions in the U.S. must immediately freeze any assets belonging to people or groups tied to an FTO.
“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” the State Department wrote in a statement.
The BLA was first designated an SDGT after claiming responsibility for a number of terror attacks. In 2019, the group targeted Chinese nationals at the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar over their support for the Gwadar Port.
In November 2024, at least 33 people were killed and 55 injured following a suicide bombing at the Quetta railway station. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that they were targeting security personnel in the area.
The BLA is known to target Pakistani soldiers with its bombing attacks. In July, a bus carrying Pakistani military personnel exploded, killing 29 soldiers. The BLA claimed responsibility, with authorities reporting that an improvised explosive device caused the explosion.
The BLA is an ethnonationalist militant group operating in Balochistan, a region in southern Pakistan. Starting in 2004, the group began open violent resistance against Pakistani forces and non-Balochistan minorities in the province, advocating the separation of Balochistan from Pakistan.
