The United States has upped pressure on the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), labelling it a “foreign terrorist” organisation.
The designation, announced by the Department of State on Monday, comes after the BLA, which is also known as the Majeed Brigade, was designated a “specially designated global terrorist” (SDGT) organisation in 2019.
The new designation is more severe and comes as US President Donald Trump has sought increased contacts with Pakistan’s government.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move “demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism”.
“Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” the statement said.
The BLA was designated as an SDGT following a series of attacks in 2019. More recently, in March this year, the secessionist group claimed responsibility for the siege of a train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, in which dozens of passengers and soldiers were killed.
