UN Security Council sanctions five for links with ISIS, al-Qaeda operations

According to Khaama Press, citing a statement by the council issued on Friday, the UN sanctions committee announced that these individuals face asset freezes, international travel bans, and arms embargoes as part of global counterterrorism measures.

Experts say these targeted sanctions are a crucial tactic in disrupting extremist financial networks and by cutting off access to the global banking system, the sanctions aim to prevent funding for terrorist recruitment and operations in hotspots such as Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

Among those designated are Libyan national Ibrahim Ali Abu Bakr Tantoush, Tunisian citizen Al-Azhar bin Khalifa Rouin, and Kuwaitis Suleiman Jassim Ali Abu Ghaith and Shafi Sultan al-Ajmi. Also listed is Gulmurod Khalimov, a former police commander from Tajikistan who rose to a senior military position within ISIS, as reported by Khaama Press.

According to the UN, some of these individuals have been previously imprisoned or convicted on terrorism-related charges, either in Western countries or in absentia. Several are currently wanted by Interpol, and investigators say that their operations extended beyond direct combat, involving transnational efforts to move weapons, money, and fighters across borders.

As per Khaama Press, the UN report notes that these individuals have long-standing connections to al-Qaeda and ISIS cells operating in conflict zones across West Asia and North Africa. Their roles highlight the difficulty in dismantling well-established terrorist support networks.

The Security Council updates its sanctions list based on intelligence contributions from UN member states and global partners. Officials emphasise that while sanctions are not a replacement for military or intelligence operations, they are an essential part of international efforts to disrupt terrorist activity by targeting financial and logistical lifelines. (ANI)