The United States has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), intensifying efforts to curb their violent activities in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

The U.S. State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, announced the decision on August 11, 2025, also listing the Majeed Brigade as an alias to the BLA’s existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status from 2019.

The Majeed Brigade, named after Baloch militant Majeed Langove, specializes in high-risk suicide missions, including attacks on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and Karachi airport.

The designations, enacted under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, bar U.S. citizens from supporting the BLA and allow authorities to freeze the groups’ assets and impose travel bans.

Islamabad welcomed the decision, with officials calling it a diplomatic win that strengthens Pakistan’s fight against terrorism in its resource-rich southwestern province.

Pakistan has long accused external actors, particularly India, of backing the BLA to destabilize Balochistan, home to the $65 billion Gwadar Port project.

The U.S. move follows a string of deadly attacks in Balochistan, including a recent roadside bomb in Nushki that killed three Pakistani soldiers, including a major, on August 5, 2025. The BLA claimed the attack as an “intelligence-based operation.”

Pakistani officials hope the blacklist will tighten the global financial and logistical noose around the BLA and its affiliates, reducing their ability to operate.

The decision also aligns with broader U.S. counterterrorism efforts.