US designates Hizbul Mujahideen as foreign terror organisation

Top leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin. (Source: AP)

The US State Department on Wednesday designated the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO). The move comes a month after the outfit’s chief, Syed Salahuddin, was named as a specially designated global terrorist.

According to a statement from the US Department of State released on Wednesday evening: “The designations seek to deny HM the resources it needs to carry out terrorist attacks. Among other consequences, all of HM’s property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the group.”