The United States has officially designated Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a move that upgrades their prior classification and immediately expands the tools available to curtail their network globally.
The U.S. Department of State confirmed the action on August 11, noting that the BLA, long active in Balochistan’s resource-rich region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, recently claimed a deadly hijacking of the Jaffar Express in March, which resulted in 31 fatalities and left over 300 passengers hostage. The State Department emphasized that the FTO label “triggers restrictions on providing financial support and other aid to the group.”
Simultaneously, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List to reflect the group’s expanded status under Executive Orders 13224 and 13886. The listing now includes aliases such as “Fateh Squad” and “Zephyr Intelligence Research and Analysis Bureau,” reinforcing sanctions enforcement and the risk of secondary penalties for aiding the group.
This escalation from SDGT to full FTO, underscores Washington’s commitment to disrupting the BLA’s financing and operational reach. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted how the group’s violent attacks, including the train hijacking and prior suicide bombings, warranted tougher international response.
