Australia is slapping sanctions on violent separatists in southwestern Pakistan whose devastating suicide bombings have killed hundreds of civilians.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is an ethnonationalist militant group seeking independence for the Baloch people.
Several countries, including Britain, Pakistan and the US, have declared it a terrorist organisation for its attacks, which have killed thousands since 2011 and heavily targeted Chinese interests.
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.
“It is a criminal offence to use or deal with the assets of a listed person or entity or to make assets available to them.
“Penalties for a breach of an Australian sanctions law include heavy fines and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
The BLA launched a fresh wave of attacks in January this year.
Dubbed Operation Herof 2.0, it carried out suicide bombings and armed assaults across nine districts.
Authorities put the death toll at 274.
The group has also carried out targeted killings of non-Balochs branded settlers, mass executions and deadly sabotage bombings on infrastructure.
