US declares Balochistan Liberation Army, Majeed Brigade as terror groups after Asim Munir’s visit
The US State Department labelled the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its branch, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). The Majeed Brigade was also added as another name under BLA’s earlier status as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. The BLA was first declared an SDGT in 2019 after carrying out several terrorist attacks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that since then, the group has claimed more attacks, including those carried out by the Majeed Brigade.
He said the BLA took responsibility for suicide bombings near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024. In March 2025, the group also claimed it hijacked the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 people, including civilians and security staff, and holding more than 300 passengers hostage.
Rubio also said the move shows the Trump administration’s strong commitment to fighting terrorism. He explained that declaring groups as terrorists is an important tool in the US fight against such threats, as it helps cut off their support and resources.
The official statement added that the designations were made under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, both of which have been updated over time. These designations will officially take effect once they are published in the Federal Register.
The move comes shortly after Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Washington DC and threatened to wipe out half the world with nuclear weapons.
About Balochistan Liberation Army
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which is listed as a terrorist group by both the US and Pakistan, has been fighting an armed rebellion against the Pakistan government for decades. The group wants independence for Balochistan, a province rich in natural resources.
The BLA accuses the Pakistani government of taking the province’s oil and mineral wealth while the ethnic Baloch people continue to face poverty and discrimination.
Just last month, the US also declared ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) a terrorist group. TRF is a proxy organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called TRF a “front and proxy” of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group already recognised as a terrorist organisation by the UN.
According to the official statement, the State Department has now added TRF to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
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