The United States Treasury Department has added one organisation in Nigeria and other six organisations in Africa and Asia to its sanctions list for global terrorism .
Two individuals — including Abu Musab Al – Barnawi of Nigeria and Mahad Moalim of Somalia — were also added to the list for their connection to the Islamic States , the US Treasury said on Tuesday.
The Treasury ’ s Office of Foreign Assets Control said on its website that at the group level , Bangladesh , Egypt , the Philippines, Somalia, Nigeria and Tunisia were on the list .
“ The additions include ISIS -Bangladesh , ISIS – Egypt , ISIS -Philippines, ISIS – Somalia, ISIS -West Africa , Jund al- Khilafah -Tunisia, also known as ISIS -Tunisia, and the Philippines-based Maute Group , also known as Islamic State of Lanao, ” Reuters quoted the OFAC to have said .
The US State Department said in a separate statement that , including the latest additions , it had designated 40 Islamic State leaders and operatives dating back to 2011 under an order aimed at denying them access to the US financial system .
“ These designations are part of a larger comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS that , in coordination with the 75-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS , has made significant progress toward that goal, ” the statement said , using a common abbreviation for Islamic State.
This effort “is destroying ISIS in its safe havens , denying its ability to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, stifling its financial resources , negating the false propaganda it disseminates over the internet and social media , and helping to stabilize liberated areas in Iraq and Syria so the displaced can return to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives , ” the statement added .
Islamic State fighters were driven last year from all the population centers they occupied in both Syria and Iraq, but Washington still considers them a threat , capable of carrying out an insurgency and plotting attacks elsewhere .
On February 9 this year , the OFAC took action targeting ISIS ’ s global facilitation network by designating three individuals and three entities as Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to Executive Order (E. O . ) 13224 , which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism .
These actions are part of a continued whole – of -government effort to identify and expose individuals and entities that provide support to ISIS and advance the violent terrorist group ’ s operational activity. As a result of today ’ s designations , all property and interests in property of these persons subject to the US jurisdiction are blocked , and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them .
“The Administration is committed to defeating ISIS wherever it operates , denigrating its illicit revenue streams , and pursuing all financial conduits, ” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence , Sigal Mandelker .
“ Each individual and entity targeted has contributed to the spread of ISIS ’ s terror reach in their respective corner of the world . Treasury will continue to relentlessly target ISIS support networks , and ensure that the US and international financial systems are not being exploited by terror operatives , ” Mandelker .
