WASHINGTON: The United States Department of State on Thursday listed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) number two, Qari Amjad, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), along with three leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Qari Amjad, also known as Mufti Muzahim, is a senior commander of the Pakistani Taliban and its ‘defense minister’ from Dir. According to US officials, he has overseen operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
The Al-Qaeda South Asian branch leaders include the AQIS’ self-styled ’emir’, Osama Mehmood, deputy leader Atif Yahya Ghouri and Muhammad Maruf – who is responsible for AQIS’ recruiting branch.
The US Department of State designated the four AQIS and TTP leaders as SDGTs under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, for their leadership roles in their respective groups.
The designations are “part of our relentless efforts to ensure that terrorists do not use Afghanistan as a platform for international terrorism,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
He added that the US will “continue to use all relevant tools to uphold our commitment to see to it that international terrorists are not able to operate with impunity in Afghanistan”.
By listing the four as global terrorists, the US State Department and Treasury Department made it a crime in the United States to engage in transactions with them, blocking any assets they have in the country.
“All property and interests in property of those designated yesterday that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and all US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them,” read the statement.
