US designates Baloch separatists as a terror group over role in attacks in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani officials on Tuesday welcomed a move by the U.S. State Department to designate a Pakistani separatist group as a foreign terrorist organization.

The designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army and its fighting wing, the Majeed Brigade, blamed for deadly attacks in Balochistan province, coincides with a visit to the U.S. by Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Washington and Islamabad reached a trade agreement expected to allow U.S. firms to help develop Pakistan’s largely untapped oil reserves in resource-rich Balochistan and lower trade tariffs for Islamabad.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the designation Tuesday, noting that the BLA was banned at home in 2024.

https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-united-states-balochistan-separatist-group-terror-8d4c6ceca522ffb6c52ece98b2597ff7