US puts Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army, Majeed Brigade on terrorist list

2025-08-12 05:05:35

(MENAFN) The US State Department announced on Monday that it has officially labeled Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed faction, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organizations. The move comes in response to a series of deadly attacks attributed to these groups in recent years.

According to the Department, the BLA claimed responsibility for suicide bombings near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024, as well as the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, which resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security forces and involved over 300 passengers being held hostage.

“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,” stated the State Department.

This designation also subjects the BLA and its affiliates to sanctions that block their access to the US financial system.

The BLA was first classified as a terrorist organization by the US in 2019 and is similarly banned in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Pakistan accuses India of supporting the group, an allegation India denies.

Balochistan has experienced ongoing violence for over 60 years, with separatist factions claiming that the region was forcibly incorporated into Pakistan following the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

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