Wikipedia

Majeed Brigade

Majeed Brigade
  • مجید بریگیڈ (Balochi)
  • مجید بریگیڈ (Urdu)
FounderAslam Baloch †
LeaderHammal Rehan
Rehman Gul X
Foundation2010
Dates of operation2010–present
Part of Balochistan Liberation Army
Opponents Pakistan
 China
Designated as a terrorist group by Pakistan[1]
 China
 United States[2]

Majeed Brigade (Urdu: مجید بریگیڈ, romanized: Majeed Biriged), also spelt Majid Brigade, is a special forces unit of the Balochistan Liberation Army.[3] It is tasked with carrying out high-stakes and unconventional operations against Pakistani security forces.

History

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The group was established in 2010 and named after Majeed Langove Senior aka Abdul Majeed Baloch, a Baloch separatist who attempted to assassinate the prime minister at the time, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on August 2, 1974, when he was at a public rally in Quetta as Majeed Senior sat atop of a tree with a grenade before accidentally killing himself,[4]and Majeed Junior another Baloch separatist who was the younger brother of Senior who was killed in an armed clash with Pakistan Army on March 17, 2010, in a housing complex in Quetta.[5] Since 2018 to October 2024, Majeed Brigade has committed 12 suicide suicide attacks on behalf of the Balochistan Liberation Army against the Pakistan Army, Pakistani police and the civilians.[6]

The first suicide operation that the organization did was in December 2011 in which they targeted Shafeeq Mengal, son of a former Pakistani federal minister and leader of a militia targeting Baloch terrorist, Shafeeq Mengal survived but 13 others were killed.[7]

On June 29, 2020, Majeed Briagade claimed responsibility for the Pakistan Stock Exchange attack through Twitter (Now X).[8]

On October 7, 2024, a member of the Majeed Brigade, Shah Fahad, committed a suicide bombing against at the Karachi Airport killing two Chinese nationals at 23:00 (11 PM) local time, according to the Chinese embassy, the Chinese nationals were engineers that were part of the Chinese-funded enterprise Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, which aims to build two coal power plants at Port Qasim, near Karachi.[9]

In July 2024, the National Counter Terrorism Authority proscribed both the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and Majeed Brigade as terrorist organizations for their role in suicide bombings and terrorist attacks including attacks done by the Majeed Brigade like against the Pakistan stock exchange, Chinese Consulate in Karachi and Confucius Institute at the Karachi university.[1]

On November 10, 2024, the Balochistan Liberation Army released the identity of the perpetrator of the 2024 Quetta railway station bombing as Muhammad Rafiq Bizenjo who joined the Balochistan Liberation Army in 2017 before joining the Majeed Brigade for a year and volunteering to do the suicide attack.[10][11]

On February 3, 2025, Mushtaq Koi, a high-ranking figure in Majeed Brigade was stabbed to death in Kabul, Afghanistan by an unknown assailant.[12][13]

On August 11, 2025, the United States designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). BLA was previously listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) Organization in 2019 by United States.[2][14] United States Department of State said "Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities."[15] United States' decision was welcomed by Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b Yousaf, Kamran (2024-07-31). "Pakistan formally bans Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, Majid Brigade". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  2. ^ a b "Terrorist Designation of The Majeed Brigade". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  3. ^ "Pakistan Adds 2 More Militant Groups To Its 'Terror' List". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  4. ^ "Fidayeen Majeed Brigade, the Elite Unit of BLA". Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. 2018-11-26. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  5. ^ Sengupta, Arjun (2024-03-22). "Who are the Majeed Brigade, the Baloch militants who carried out Gwadar attack?". The Indian Express. New Delhi. OCLC 70274541. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  6. ^ "Media Report Examines The Role Of Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA): Since 2018 'BLA's Majeed Brigade Has Executed 12 Major Suicide Attacks... Involving 64 Suicide Bombers'". Middle East Media Research Institute. 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  7. ^ Sharma, Mukul (2024-03-26). "What is Majeed Brigade, Baloch Liberation Army's 'suicide squad' reportedly behind Pak Navy base attack?". WION. New Delhi. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  8. ^ "Pakistan attack: Deadly raid on stock exchange in Karachi". BBC News. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  9. ^ Davis, Caroline; Ng, Kelly (2024-10-07). "Two Chinese nationals killed in blast near Pakistan's Karachi airport". BBC News. Islamabad. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  10. ^ "BLA reveals identity of terrorist behind Quetta railway station blast". Dunya News. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  11. ^ "BLA Details Quetta Blast, Says 31 Army Personnel Killed in 'Fidayee' Attack". Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  12. ^ "The Assassination of Mushtaq Kohi". Balochistan Pulse. 3 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Major Blow to BLA: Key Commander Mushtaq "Kohi" Taken Out in Kabul - South Asia Times". 2 February 2025.
  14. ^ "TRT Global - US designates group responsible for recent train hijacking in Pakistan as foreign terrorists". trt.global. 11 August 2025.
  15. ^ Iclal Turan, Rabia (11 August 2025). "US lists Balochistan Liberation Army, Majeed Brigade in Pakistan as terrorist groups". www.aa.com.tr.
  16. ^ "US State Dept lists BLA, Majeed Brigade as terrorist groups". The Express Tribune. 11 August 2025.