The US State Department said in a statement that Washington had imposed sanctions on a network in Somalia affiliated with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, working to smuggle weapons to the terrorist group.
The statement added that the network operates primarily between Yemen and Somalia, and has ties with other terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Al-Shabab.
“Several individuals involved are also involved in other illegal activities, including piracy and environmental crime, indicating their affiliation with illegal networks operating in the region,” the statement continued.
The statement pointed out that ISIS in Somalia is increasingly working to “generate revenue in East Africa, while continuing to launch terrorist attacks against civilians, and obtains a large part of its funding through extorting local communities for financing and recruitment, as the group punishes, intimidates and assassinates businessmen and civilians.” Somalis who don’t support it financially and don’t provide supplies.”
The US State Department had classified ISIS in Somalia on February 27, 2018, and followed it up by designating the leader of this network in Somalia, Abdul Qadir Momen, on August 11, 2016, as “global terrorists.”
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