Washington: The United States Department of State on Monday designated the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, The Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). BLA was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2019 following several terrorist attacks.

Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including those by the Majeed Brigade, the State Department said in a statement. The statement said the State Department is designating “BLA and its alias, The Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), and adding The Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA's previous SDGT designation.”

The action, it said, “demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to countering terrorism.” The department added, “Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.”

According to the State Department, in 2024, the BLA claimed responsibility for suicide attacks near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. In 2025, the group said it was behind the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar in March, “which resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security personnel, and over 300 passengers being taken hostage.”
With inputs from PTI