The United States has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). The State Department announced that this designation makes it a crime under US law to provide material, financial, or logistical support to the groups. It also freezes any assets they may hold in the US. The Majeed Brigade has now been formally listed as an alias of the BLA in the group’s Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entry from 2019.
The BLA was first declared a global terrorist group in 2019 following a series of deadly attacks in Pakistan. Since then, it has continued to claim responsibility for further acts of violence, including suicide bombings, armed assaults, and hostage-taking. The Majeed Brigade, known for high-risk suicide missions, has carried out several of these incidents. The US stressed that the designation aims to weaken the groups’ funding networks and deter international support.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision reflects the Trump administration’s firm commitment to countering terrorism worldwide. “Terrorist designations play a critical role in disrupting operational networks and preventing future attacks,” he stated. The announcement follows Pakistan’s repeated calls to list the Majeed Brigade alongside the BLA in global terrorist watchlists, a demand made during recent diplomatic engagements with Washington.
The BLA has been involved in multiple high-profile incidents in recent years. In 2024, it claimed suicide bombings near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. In March 2025, the group said it hijacked the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding over 300 passengers hostage for hours. Such attacks have heightened Pakistan’s push for stronger international action.
We welcome the US decision to designate BLA & its alias Majeed Brigade as terrorist outfits. Credit to the Federal Government & Field Marshal Asim Munir for presenting Pakistan’s case to the US administration. These groups have long shed innocent blood under the false cover of… https://t.co/Udd3wGIUY0
— Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) August 11, 2025
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti welcomed the US decision, praising Pakistan’s federal government and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for effectively presenting the country’s case. “These groups have long shed innocent blood under the false cover of ethnicity and rights,” Bugti said. He urged the international community to adopt a united stance against terrorism, declaring that “no cause justifies killing civilians, and the world must act collectively to end this menace.”