KSA freezes assets of 2 Hezbollah leaders

(MENAFN- Arab News) JEDDAH: The Kingdom has frozen the assets of two Hezbollah members for supporting terrorist operations in various Middle East countries including Yemen and Syria.
The government took the decision on Tuesday May 26. It includes a ban on Saudis having any dealings with the two men identified as Khalil Harb and Muhammed Qablan according to a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.
The men were high-ranking members of Hezbollah responsible for various activities including supporting the Assad regime in Syria with funds and fighters giving money to various factions in Yemen and support for 'militants responsible for terrorist operations in the Middle East' the statement said.
Saudi Arabia would 'continue its fight against the terrorist activities of Hezbollah using all available means' and work with partners around the world to ensure that everyone is aware of the organization's 'military and extremist activities' the statement said.
'As long as Hezbollah seeks to spread chaos and instability carries out terrorist attacks and is involved in criminal and illegal activities around the world the Kingdom will continue to designate its activists leaders and entities and impose sanctions on them' the statement said.
The Kingdom had issued a royal decree to freeze the assets of the two men. This was based on the country's anti-terrorism laws which has specific penalties for terrorists their supporters and sympathizers. 'Saudi citizens are prohibited from having any dealings with them' the statement said.
The statement said that Harb was born on Oct. 9 1958 worked first as a Hezbollah deputy commander and then commander of its central military unit. He also supervised Hezbollah's military operations in the Middle East including in Yemen.
The statement said that he had interfered on behalf of Hezbollah in Yemen's political affairs. In addition since the summer of 2012 Harb participated in the transfer of large amounts of money to Yemen. In late 2012 he told a leader of a Yemeni political party that Hezbollah could provide immediate funding of $50000.
The statement said that the other man Qablan was a Lebanese national born in 1969 and commander of a Hezbollah terrorist cell.
He worked as the head of an infantry battalion the head of the organization's Unit 1800 and assumed the leadership of its terrorist cell in Egypt targeting tourist destinations.
An Egyptian court sentenced him in absentia to life in April 2010 for his involvement in a cell affiliated to Hezbollah. In late 2011 he worked for a secret Middle East-based independent unit under Hezbollah and still plays a key role in the organization's 'policy of spreading chaos and instability and launching terrorist attacks across the world.'