Amid Strained India-US Relations, Trump Administration Designates Baloch Liberation Army and Majid Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
WASHINGTON: In a significant development that is set to redraw geopolitical alignments, the United States has officially declared the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its offshoot, the Majid Brigade, as foreign terrorist organizations. This decision by the Trump administration comes at a time when bilateral relations with India are reportedly at a low point due to ongoing trade disputes, and Washington appears keen to forge a stronger friendship with its longtime ally, Pakistan.
The announcement was confirmed by U.S. Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio in a press statement. Rubio stated that the BLA and the Majid Brigade have been responsible for a series of bombings and suicide attacks since 2019. "The United States has been monitoring their activities for several years. Their continuous acts of terrorism are destabilizing civilian society in a nation," he said. Rubio added that the U.S. will now take proactive measures to curb their operations and urged other countries to follow suit.
This designation is a direct response to the groups' escalating violence. A particularly heinous incident occurred in March of this year when the BLA hijacked a train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. The attack resulted in the deaths of 31 security personnel and civilians, with approximately 300 individuals taken hostage. This act of aggression highlighted the growing threat posed by the militant organizations.
The timing of this decision is notable. The move to list the BLA as a terrorist entity is widely seen as a major step toward strengthening Washington's relationship with Islamabad. This effort to bolster ties with Pakistan comes against the backdrop of an ongoing "trade war" and frosty diplomatic relations between the United States and India, a situation many observers believe has reached a new low.
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