U.S. declares BLA and Majeed Brigade as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations”
The U.S. Department of State has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its group, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). The Majeed Brigade is now officially recognized as an alias of the BLA, which was already listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group in 2019.
According to the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the BLA has been linked to several terrorist attacks since 2019, many of them carried out by the Majeed Brigade. These include suicide bombings near Karachi’s airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024. In 2025, the group claimed responsibility for hijacking the Jaffer Express train from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel, and holding more than 300 passengers hostage.
The U.S. government said this designation reflects its commitment to fighting terrorism. Such listings are aimed at cutting off financial and logistical support for terrorist groups.
The move was made under U.S. immigration and counterterrorism laws, and the designation takes effect immediately after being published in the Federal Register.
