America declares Hizbul terror organisation, slaps sanctions

Washington: The United States on Wednesday said it had sanctioned Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest among the anti-Indian Kashmiri militant groups.

The US Treasury Department, in a statement on its website, said it had listed the Pakistan-based group as a counter-designated group, freezing any assets it may hold in the US and prohibiting Americans from dealings with it. “These designations seek to deny Hizbul the resources it needs to carry out terrorist attacks,” the US State Department said in a separate statement.

In announcing the sanction, the US State Department said the group had claimed responsibility for several attacks, including one in 2014 in Jammu and Kashmir that left 17 people injured.

Last month, the United States also designated Syed Salahuddin, a militant commander, as a terrorist. Such designations are aimed at denying individuals and entities access to the US financial system.