Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:01pm on 13 Aug 2025,Wednesday International
The U.S. State Department on August 11, 2025, officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), a stronger classification than their 2019 designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. This move, announced during Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s Washington visit, heightens sanctions and legal constraints on the groups and marks deeper US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation. Pakistan welcomed the decision as validation of its efforts, while analysts link the timing with U.S. strategic and economic interests in Balochistan’s oil and rare earth potential. (PC: AP)
