Tensions Rise in Balochistan Amid New Terrorist Designations

In Balochistan, Pakistan Armed Forces killed 50 militants linked to the newly designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). This follows the US State Department's classification of BLA and its Majeed Brigade as terrorist groups. Separately, an ambush near the Iran border claimed nine soldiers' lives.

The US Department of State has added the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), prompting immediate action from the Pakistan Armed Forces. The military reported killing 50 militants attempting to enter the Zhob district from Afghanistan, according to the Dawn.

The ISPR, Pakistan's military public relations wing, revealed that between August 7 and 11, 47 militants were killed in the Sambaza area, with three more eliminated in a later operation. 'Khawarij', a term for members of banned groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, was used to describe the slain militants, the ISPR noted.

In another incident, nine Pakistani soldiers were killed in an ambush in Balochistan's Washuk district, near the Iran border. Meanwhile, the US designation labels the BLA as a continuation of its Specially Designated Global Terrorist status, aimed at curtailing support for terrorism. The BLA has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks since 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)