Washington: The US State Department on Tuesday designated a Saudi national linked to a Lebanese militant group as a terrorist, a move that blocks his assets within U.S. reach.
Ibrahim Suleiman Hamad Al-Hablain, also known as Abu Jabal, is an explosives expert and operative for Abdullah Azzam Brigades, or AAB, a Lebanese militant organization, the State Department said in a statement.
AAB claimed responsibility for the July 2010 bombing of a Japanese oil tanker and for firing several rockets into Israel from Lebanon, the statement said, citing media reports.
The terrorist designation freezes any of Abu Jabal's assets in U.S. territory and bans U.S. citizens from doing business with him or engaging in any transactions from which he might benefit.
The State Department said Abu Jabal was wanted for extradition by the government of Saudi Arabia for participating in extremist
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 11:06