The group described the move as a “deviation from ground realities” and “an implicit endorsement of the colonial narrative by an international power.”

In a statement issued on Friday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch was quoted as saying by The Balochistan Post that the group viewed the designation “without surprise and without any sense of added pressure,” insisting the organization is “a resistance force, active solely against the military domination of the occupying state” and committed to “the liberation of its occupied motherland.”

Jeeyand Baloch stressed that the BLA operates “under the rules of war” as defined in international humanitarian law, specifically Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions.

The United States recently designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The Majeed Brigade was also added as an alias to BLA’s previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation. 

"BLA was designated as an SDGT in 2019 following several terrorist attacks.  Since 2019, BLA has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including by the Majeed Brigade," read the statement issued by the US State Department.

BLA and its activities

In 2024, BLA claimed it had committed suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex, as per the US State Department website. 

In 2025, BLA claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding hostage over 300 train passengers.  

The State Department further said: "Today’s action taken by the Department of State 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."