Australia is slapping sanctions on violent ethnic militant group called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Pakistan for devastating suicide bombings which have killed hundreds of civilians in the country, reported Australian media on Friday.
Several countries, including Britain, Pakistan and the US, have declared banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), militant group seeking independence for the Baloch people, as a terrorist organisation, which have killed thousands of civilians since 2011 and targeted Chinese nationals.
Announcing the sanctions on Friday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia’s “commitment to countering terrorism and violent extremism is unwavering”. “The Balochistan Liberation Army is a group that has conducted violent terror attacks across Pakistan,” she said in a statement. “These appalling attacks have targeted civilians, critical infrastructure, and foreign nationals as well as the Pakistani state.”
Senator Wong said the sanctions help cut off financial support of terrorists, making it harder for them to fund operations, recruit and spread their harmful ideology. “We remain committed to working with our international partners to confront and dismantle the networks that fuel threats to our security,” she said.
