WASHINGTON – The US State Department on Tuesday said it has designatedseven ISIS-affiliated groups and two leaders as Specially Designated GlobalTerrorists (SDGTs).

Three of the seven groups, namely the IS-West Africa, IS-Philippines andIS-Bangladesh, were also designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations(FTOs), Xinhua reported.

US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions withthem, and their property and interests in property subject to country’sjurisdiction are blocked.

In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire toprovide, material support or resources to these organisations.

The other four groups designated as SDGTs were IS-Somalia, Jundal-Khilafah-Tunisia, IS-Egypt and the Maute Group, and the individuals areMahad Moalim and Abu Musab al-Barnawi.

Among other consequences, all property and interests in property of theSDGT designees are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited fromengaging in any transactions with them.

While announcing these designations, US Coordinator for CounterterrorismNathan A. Sales emphasised that “these designations target keyISIS-affiliated groups and leaders outside its fallen caliphate in Iraq andSyria. Today’s actions are a critical step in degrading IS’s global networkand denying its affiliates the resources they need to plan and carry outterrorist attacks.”

The State Department also said that the latest designations aim to notifythe US public and the international community that these groups andindividuals have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts ofterrorism.

“Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals anddeny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations canassist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and othergovernments,” it added. – Agencies