US names Hafeez Saeed's JuD as terror outfit

Tightening its noose around the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the United States has added its affiliates, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, to its list of designated terror organisations and slapped sanctions against two Pakistan-based LeT leaders.

The State Department has amended Lashkar’s designations to add the aliases: Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Al-Anfal Trust, Tehrik-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool and Tehrik-e-Tahafuz Qibla Awwal, an official statement said.

Simultaneously, the Department of the Treasury targeted the financial and leadership networks of LeT by designating Nazir Ahmad Chaudhry (Ahmad) and  Muhammad Hussein Gill as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Ahmad and Gill are being designated for acting for or on behalf of LeT, a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan.

Treasury and the Department of State have designated 22 individuals and four entities associated with LeT.

"In targeting Lashkar-e-Tayiba leadership, today's action demonstrates our unrelenting commitment to combating terrorism by disrupting terrorist groups' financial activities," said the Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen.

"We will continue to target LeT's financial foundation to disrupt and impede its violent activities," he added.

LeT was responsible for the deadly November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India that killed nearly two hundred people and injured more than three hundred.

The group's leader is Hafiz Saeed is also a designated terrorist leader.

Ahmad has been an LeT senior leader since the early 2000 and has served as its vice-president, member of the group's central leadership and as close aide of its leader Muhammad Saeed.

Ahmad directed the group's public relations department for at least ten years and as of 2012 was the head of LeT's information wing. Ahmad has also been a key strategist for the group and has been involved in LeT operational finance matters.

Gill is a senior LeT shura member and was an LeT founder. He has been an accountant for LeT for more than ten years and has served as its chief financial officer and headed its accounts department for several years.

He also has served in LeT's revenue wing and has maintained its expense records.

"As a result of today's action, all property and interests in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons in which Ahmad and Gill have an interest are blocked and US persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the Treasury said. 

US also slapped sanctions against two LeT leaders Nazir Ahmad Chaudhry (Ahmad) and Muhammad Hussein Gill by designating them as Specially Designated Global Terrorists on Wednesday.

Ahmad has been an LeT senior leader since the early 2000s and has served as its vice-president, member of the group’s central leadership, and as close aide of its overall leader Muhammad Saeed.

Ahmad directed the group’s public relations department for at least ten years and, as of 2012, was the head of LeT’s information wing. Ahmad has also been a key strategist for the group and has been involved in LeT operational finance matters.

Gill is a senior LeT shura member and was an LeT founder. He has been an accountant for LeT for more than ten years and more specifically, has served as its chief financial officer and headed its accounts department for several years.

Since its inception LeT has been focused on carrying out major terrorist attacks inside India. LeT claimed responsibility for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed at least 166 people.

In 2011, LeT was responsible for multiple terror attacks, mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, and in 2012, LeT also claimed responsibility for an attack against an Indian army convoy in Kashmir that killed one civilian and injured two others, the State Department said.