Washington: The United States has designated a Baloch separatist group, based in Pakistan, as a foreign terrorist organization over deadly terrorist attacks in Balochistan province.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the US State Department announced the designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its fighting wing, the Majeed Brigade, for several terrorist attacks over the years. The BLA was initially designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2019 following several terrorist attacks. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including those carried out by the Majeed Brigade.

The designation coincided with the visit of Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to the US. It also came after the two countries reached a trade deal expected to allow American firms to help develop Pakistan’s oil reserves in Balochistan and to lower trade tariffs for Islamabad.

The US State Department highlighted that in 2024, the BLA claimed it had committed suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. In 2025, the group also claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, which resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security personnel and the holding hostage of over 300 train passengers.

Balochistan has long been a hotbed of insurgency, largely attributed to groups such as the banned Baloch Liberation Army. The province also harbors militants affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.