U.S. blacklists four leaders of al-Nusrah Front group

The United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on four key leaders of al-Nusrah Front, in an effort to disrupt operations of the terrorist organization in Syria.

The four leaders are Abdallah Muhammad Bin-Sulayman al-Muhaysini, Jamal Husayn Zayniyah, Abdul Jashari, and Ashraf Ahmad Fari al-Allak, according to a statement issued by the Treasury Department.

As a result of the action, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

"From recruiting fighters to raising funds, these sanctioned individuals are responsible for providing key financial and logistical support to al-Nusrah Front," said John Smith, an official of the Treasury Department. "Treasury will continue to target al-Nusrah Front's financial networks and choke off their access to the international financial system."

Also on Thursday, the State Department amended the designation of al-Nusrah Front as a terrorist group to add new aliases, most notably, Jabhat Fath al Sham.

In July 2016, Abu Muhammed al-Jawlani, the leader of al-Nusrah Front, announced his group would henceforth be known as Jabhat Fath al Sham.

"Whether it calls itself Jabhat Fath al Sham or al-Nusrah Front, the group remains al-Qa'ida's affiliate in Syria," the State Department said in a statement. Enditem