The United States on Friday expressed solidarity with Pakistan following recent militant attacks in Balochistan, reiterating its support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
In a post on X, the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said it stood “steadfast with Pakistan” in the wake of the attacks, which it described as “horrific”.
The bureau noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) remains a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).
In August last year, the US State Department added the BLA and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its FTO list, according to a press release.
FTO designations are made by the secretary of state, following section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and “are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business”.
“We support efforts to hold the perpetrators of these horrific attacks accountable,” the SCA added.
Earlier on Thursday, security forces concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists in days-long clearance operations, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military’s media wing said the operation was launched following a spate of coordinated attacks across the province on January 31, which disrupted normal life in several areas. The ISPR said the intelligence-based operations targeted what it described as Indian-sponsored terrorist elements.
According to the ISPR, 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed during the violence, while 22 security forces and law enforcement personnel also lost their lives. It added that a substantial cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered during the operations.
The attacks have also drawn condemnation from the United Nations, with UN officials earlier expressing concern over the violence and stressing the need to hold those responsible accountable.
