The United States Department of State, on August 11, 2025, officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224.

This measure, which takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register, not only adds the Majeed Brigade as an alias to the BLA’s prior Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) listing from 2019, but also marks a significant escalation in US counterterrorism policy, reflecting the ongoing commitment of the Trump administration to combating global terrorism.

The FTO designation entails far-reaching legal and financial consequences. It enables the US government to freeze the assets of the BLA and its aliases, criminalises any support or material assistance to these groups, and provides for enhanced cross-border cooperation to disrupt their operations. Previously, the SDGT designation primarily targeted financial flows; the new FTO status criminalises even non-financial forms of support, increasing international pressure on the group and its sources of backing.

The decision follows several years of BLA-linked violence targeting government and civilian infrastructure in Pakistan, particularly in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The BLA, which seeks an independent Balochistan, intensified its operations in 2024 and 2025—including high-profile suicide attacks attributed to the Majeed Brigade.

In 2024, BLA operatives claimed responsibility for suicide bombings near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex, as well as lethal incidents at Quetta railway station and against Chinese nationals. These attacks caused dozens of fatalities and aimed to destabilise the region's commercial and strategic assets.

In March 2025, the BLA gained infamy for hijacking the Jaffar Express train, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. This sophisticated attack resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security personnel, with more than 300 passengers held hostage before being freed following a lengthy military operation.

The group also claimed additional large-scale assaults in April, May, and July 2025, including bombings of military convoys, capture and assault of government posts, and executions of Pakistani soldiers. Throughout this period, BLA operations, notably those led by the Majeed Brigade, demonstrated an increased capacity for urban terrorism and mass casualty events.

The US State Department underscores that “terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.” By criminalising support for these groups and intensifying financial sanctions and legal cooperation, the US aims to delegitimise and disrupt the BLA’s operational networks, reduce its sources of funding and material assistance, and signal a robust stance to allies including Pakistan.

This latest designation adds to the US’s growing list of sanctioned terrorist groups in South Asia and reaffirms Washington’s intent to support regional stability through diplomatic, financial, and security means. Furthermore, the alignment of these measures with other recent FTO designations, such as that of The Resistance Front (TRF), highlights the administration’s strategy of systematically targeting those perpetrating large-scale, cross-border terrorism in the region.

The designation of the BLA and its alias the Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations marks an intensification of international efforts to address terrorism in Balochistan and broader South Asia, emphasising asset freezes, criminal prosecution, and global cooperation to counter violent separatism and protect civilian populations.

Based On ANI Report