(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
WASHINGTON: The United States took aim at the Islamic State jihadist group Tuesday with 35 terror and sanctions designations targeting new IS affiliates three French nationals and four Britons.
The broad list also included groups and individuals from Indonesia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Tunisia and other countries -- a move which US officials said demonstrated the global threat the group poses.
"It's a problem that the global community faces... it's a problem that we all share" said a senior official in the administration of President Barack Obama insisting on anonymity.
The announcement came as dozens of international leaders gathered Tuesday for a summit focusing on the IS threat on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
The designations add 15 individuals and groups to the State Department's official "designated global terrorist" list and included two groups which have recently pledged loyalty to IS also called ISIL by US officials.
One was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Caucasus Province which claimed responsibility for an attack early this month on a Russian military base in south Dagestan.
Another was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Khorasan group -- former Pakistan and Afghan Taliban commanders who have also allied themselves with IS.
The Treasury Department said its sanctions on 15 individuals aimed at cutting off the Islamic State's financial network to hamper their ability to finance associated groups and to purchase supplies.
It is "about trying to financially isolate ISIL within the territory it controls making sure its financial resources do not turn into financial strength" said the official.
AFP