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Member states of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Centre (TFTC) have unanimously named 13 new individuals and three new organisations to the list of jihadist groups.
According to a statement issued by the Saudi Arabian State Security Presidency, three individuals were linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In addition, four other individuals and one company were reportedly found to be connected to Daesh. In addition to this, the same investigation concluded that six other persons were linked to the financing of Boko Haram.
In addition to these new connections to existing terrorist groups, two new groups, Saraya Al-Ashtar and Saraya Al-Mukhtar, were also designated as terrorist organisations. The report noted that both are terrorist militias based in Bahrain and are reportedly receiving financial, logistical and military support from the Revolutionary Guards.
In terms of individuals, the TFTC decrees Lebanese national Ali Al-Qusayer, Iranian nationals Miqdad Amini and Murtada Minai for their connection to the Al-Quds force, Afghan national Esmatullah Khaluzi for his connection to Daesh operations in Khorasan, and Syrian national Alaa Khanfurah for his connection to Daesh.
The list also includes six Nigerian nationals: Abdurrahman Adu Musa, Salihu Youssef Admu, Bashir Ali Youssef, Mohammed Ibrahim Issa, Ibrahim Ali Al-Hasan and Suraju AbuBakr Mohammed. All six have allegedly been working for Boko Haram, going so far as to establish a terrorist cell in the United Arab Emirates with the aim of raising money for the terrorist group.
Syrians Baraa Al-Qaterji and Hussam Rushdi Al-Qaterji reportedly collaborated with Daesh after it was discovered that they allegedly provided fuel to Daesh, as well as cooperating with terrorist organisations such as the Revolutionary Guards.
This new classification is an extension of member states' commitment to further contribute to eradicating terrorism. Furthermore, with the designation of these new terrorist organisations, the TFTC is sending a clear message to the international community about the "fruitful" cooperation that exists between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United States in the fight against terrorism and the financing of terrorism.
In a new press release issued by the US Treasury Department, it reported that the objective of the self-styled Saraya al-Mukhtar seeks to "pave the way for Iran to exert greater influence in Bahrain and beyond".
They further stated that "the group has planned attacks against US personnel in Bahrain and has repeatedly offered cash rewards for the assassination of Bahraini officials".
They further state that Saraya al-Ashtar, also known as the al-Ashtar Brigades, has reportedly "claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks against Bahraini police and security targets", adding that it also "calls for violence against Bahrainis.
The announcement, which coincides with the TFTC's fifth anniversary, is in line with the organisation's objectives as it focuses on rooting out terrorist financing activities in order to strengthen the regional capabilities of member states.
According to the TFTC, classifications within terrorist groups focus on disrupting terrorist financing and coordinating actions and efforts to disrupt terrorist financing, improving intelligence coordination to uncover sources of terrorist financing, and developing the capacity of member states to identify activities that pose a threat to the security of countries.
They noted that the system for combating terrorist crimes and their financing implies that all funds and assets belonging to persons or entities named in the classifications must be frozen. They also prohibit any direct or indirect dealings with them.
