US labels Balochistan Liberation Army, Majeed Brigade in Pakistan as terrorist groups

(MENAFN) The US State Department on Monday officially labeled Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organizations, citing their involvement in multiple deadly attacks in recent years.

The department highlighted that 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 from Quetta to Peshawar, which resulted in 31 deaths and over 300 passengers being held hostage.

A State Department spokesperson stated that the designation reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to countering terrorism, noting that such measures restrict the groups’ access to US financial resources and curtail support for their activities.

The BLA was initially designated a terrorist organization by the US in 2019 and is also banned in Pakistan and the UK. Islamabad has accused India of supporting the group, a claim New Delhi denies. Balochistan has experienced decades of violence, with separatists asserting that the province was forcibly integrated into Pakistan after British rule ended in 1947.

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