Majeed Brigade
| Majeed Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Aslam Baloch |
| Foundation | 2011 |
| Dates of operation | 2011–present |
| Allegiance |  Balochistan Liberation Army |
| Opponents |  Pakistan China |
| Designated as a terrorist group by | Pakistan |
Majeed Brigade (Balochi: مجید بریگیڈ۔ romanized: Majed Bereyagapyede, Urdu: مجید بریگیڈ, romanized: Majeed Baregid), also spelt Majid Brigade, is a Pakistani-based terrorist militant group known as the "special forces" of the Balochistan Liberation Army.[1]
History
[edit]The group was established in 2011 and named after Majeed Langove Senior AKA Abdul Majeed Baloch, a Balochi militant 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 committing suicide,[2] and Majeed Junior another Balochi militant who was the younger brother of Senior who was killed by members of the Pakistan army on March 17, 2010, in a housing complex in Quetta. Majeed Junior's death was mourned by nationalists across Balochistan. After it became widely known that he was the younger brother of Senior, the Majeed Langove brothers were raised to near-mythical status. When Aslam Achu, a Balochistan Liberation Army leader, decided to establish a suicide squad, the name ‘Majeed’ was chosen for it. The Majeed Brigade carried out its first suicide attack on December 30, 2011, targeting a tribal leader and Pakistan Army proxy called Shafiq Mengal. While Shafiq himself escaped unhurt, at least 14 persons were killed and another 35 were injured.[3] Since 2018 to October 2024, Majeed Brigade has committed 12 suicide suicide attacks on behalf of the Balochistan Liberation Army against both the Pakistan Army and Pakistani police.[4]
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 death squad targeting Baloch insurgents, Shafeeq Mengal survived but 13 others were murdered.[5]
On June 29, 2020, Majeed Briagade claimed responsibility for the Pakistan Stock Exchange attack through Twitter (Now X).[6]
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.[7]
Balochistan Liberation Army center's intelligence directs and coordinates the suicide attacks with the first leader being Aslam Baloch a.k.a. Achu (original name was Takari Mohammad Aslam and son of Rahim Dad) until his death in Kandahar during a suicide attack in December 2018.[8] Asalam Baloch's son, Rehan Baluch, carried out the August 2018 suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, Balochistan. Until his death, Aslam vowed to carry out more suicide attacks against Chinese citizens working on CPEC projects and Pakistani security forces. He used to primarily operate in the southern districts of Baluchistan. Second level commanders of the unit include Bashir Zeb, Noor Baksh Mengal, Rehman Gul, Agha Sher Dil, and Commander Hamal. Sindh's Counter Terrorism Department also named these commanders as masterminds of the attack in Karachi.[9]
The group receives its funding from Baluch dissidents living abroad, such as in Europe and North America. It is widely believed that the Majeed Fidayeen Brigade and its parent organization BLA receive funding through Hawala and Hundi networks.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12][13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Pakistan Adds 2 More Militant Groups To Its 'Terror' List". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Pakistan attack: Deadly raid on stock exchange in Karachi". BBC News. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Khan, Tahir (2018-12-25). "Chinese consulate attack 'mastermind' killed in Afghanistan". Daily Times. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ Ali, Imtiaz (2018-11-24). "Baloch separatist leader Harbiyar Marri among 13 booked for Chinese consulate attack". Dawn. ISSN 1563-9444. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ "BLA's Suicide Squad: Majeed Fidayeen Brigade". Terrorism Monitor. 17 (3) – via Jamestown Foundation.
- ^ Yousaf, Kamran (2024-07-31). "Pakistan formally bans Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, Majid Brigade". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ "BLA reveals identity of terrorist behind Quetta railway station blast". Dunya News. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "BLA Details Quetta Blast, Says 31 Army Personnel Killed in 'Fidayee' Attack". Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.