In a decisive counterterrorism measure, the US State Department on Monday officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, The Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The move comes alongside adding The Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA’s existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status, first issued in 2019.
Long accused of planning lethal assaults against both security forces and civilians, the BLA is well-known for its decades-long violent struggle against the Pakistani government.
Terror Attacks Prompting the New Designation
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited a string of high-profile attacks carried out by the group in recent years. The BLA has claimed responsibility for a number of actions since 2019, including two suicide attacks in 2024, one at the Gwadar Port Authority Complex and one close to Karachi Airport. This year, the group escalated its campaign by hijacking the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express from Quetta in March 2025. The incident resulted in 31 deaths, both civilians and security personnel, and left over The incident resulted in 31 deaths, both civilians and security personnel, and left over 300 passengers held hostage for hours.
Rubio stated, “Today’s action demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism. Designations such as this are vital to cutting off support for terrorist groups and disrupting their global operations.”
Legal and Strategic Implications
The designation was made under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. It will come into effect once published in the Federal Register.
An FTO designation makes it illegal for individuals or entities within the United States to knowingly provide support or resources to the BLA or Majeed Brigade.Additionally, it limits the groups’ financial networks and freezes any assets they might have under US law.
BLA’s Decades-Long Insurgency
The BLA has been classified as a terrorist organization by both the US and the Pakistani government, which contend that it targets development projects and attacks people to further its separatist objectives. The group’s leaders, however, accuse Islamabad of resource exploitation, political repression, and systemic discrimination against the ethnic Baloch minority.
Linked Designations: The Resistance Front (TRF)
This latest move follows the US decision last month to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as both an FTO and SDGT. The TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in India, which killed 26 civilians.
Rubio described TRF as a “front and proxy” for LeT—a UN-listed terrorist group operating from Pakistan.
Also Read: Trump Extends China Tariff Deadline by 90 Days — What This Means for US-China Trade Tensions
A Signal to Global Terror Networks
Counterterror experts say the designation of both BLA and Majeed Brigade sends a strong signal to militant groups worldwide: US law enforcement and intelligence agencies will actively target support systems, funding channels, and operational networks, regardless of their geographic base.
The move is also likely to intensify counterterror coordination between the United States, Pakistan, and other regional allies to prevent cross-border militant activities.
