Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) brushed-off US’ decision to designate Majeed Brigade — BLA’s fidayeen unit — as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)”, saying that the American decision does not affect the authenticity of its struggle. BLA said that they will continue to fight for Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan and “do not require external validation or any international certification”. The US department of state had already designated BLA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in the year 2019 after BLA carried out several successful attacks against Pakistan which were inferred by the US as “terrorist attacks”. And on August 11, 2015 the US appended Majeed Brigade as an alias with BLA; naming the fidayeen (self-sacrificing) unit as a ‘foreign terrorist organization’.
“The recent decision by the United States to designate Majeed Brigade, a special unit of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), as a foreign terrorist organization is a deviation from ground realities and an implicit endorsement of the colonial narrative by an international power. We view this decision without surprise and without any sense of added pressure. Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is a resistance force, active solely against the military domination of the occupying state, and is committed to the liberation of its occupied motherland,” said Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson of the Baloch Liberation Army.
The BLA spokesperson explained that all of their operations are directed against the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence networks, death squads and their collaborator gangs within Balochistan. “Our struggle is for our motherland—the land of our ancestors—seized from us by force. We are not opposed to the people of Pakistan, nor to any world power. Our arms are raised solely against the occupier, whoever that may be and will remain so until the occupation ends. We operate under the rules of war as defined in international humanitarian law, specifically Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions.”
The press statement of US Secretary of State had termed BLA’s suicide attacks in 2024 on the Karachi and Gwadar ports and the March 2025 hijacking of Jaffar Express as “terrorist attacks”. BLA, in response, said that the allegations put forward by US echo the same narrative that Pakistan has used as propaganda for decades. “Targeting civilians is not part of our manifesto. At the same time, we make it clear that we are under no obligation to justify the nature of our struggle to anyone, nor will we conform to any narrative that serves state interests.”
BLA spokesperson explained that criminalizing a seventy five year old indigenous resistance waged on our own soil does not represent international justice. “Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is an organized military force conducting operations in compliance with the laws of war. We are a non-state force defending our people against occupation.” The US decision comes at a time when Balochistan’s vast mineral wealth has become the focus of global capitalist interests. Pakistan is offering these resources to foreign corporations and plans are being advanced to turn Balochistan into a silent economic colony. When national resistance stands in the way of these projects, it is no surprise to see such resistance declared unlawful on a global stage. We understand this context and remain unwavering, added Jeeyand Baloch.
“The fact remains clear: Pakistan occupied Balochistan in 1948 by force of arms. BLA is a continuation of the resistance that began that very day. We are not a passing political reaction, but a historical, national and defensive reality. When a nation is stripped of its land, identity, language and resources, every individual becomes a fidayeen (self-sacrificer). Today, every conscious Baloch is a fidayeen. This war is not only fought with weapons, but also with awareness, sacrifice and collective dignity,” said Jeeyand Baloch with a defiant tone.