Washington: The US has clamped down on Pakistan-based Laskar-e-Toiba (LeT) that has targeted India, including the 2001 attack on Parliament building, by freezing the assets of its top four leaders and barring its nationals from dealing with the militant outfit.
The four are Muhammad Saeed, the group's overall leader, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, its chief of operations; Haji Muhammad Ashraf, the chief of finance--- all hailing from Pakistan-- and India-born Mahmoud Mohammad Ahmed Bahaziq, a main LeT financier, the US Treasury Department said.
It said Lashkar had links to terror mastermind Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda network.
"LeT is a dangerous al Qaida affiliate... Its transnational nature makes it crucial for governments worldwide to do all they can to stifle LET's fundraising and operation," Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), said in statement.
The US said LeT has conducted numerous attacks against Indian military and civilian targets since 1993, including the the December 2001 targeting of Parliament building and the July 2006 attack on multiple Mumbai commuter trains.
LET is also suspected of involvement in attacks in New Delhi in October 2005, and in Bangalore in December 2005.
LET arose in the early 1990s as the armed wing of the Sunni missionary movement Markaz-ud Dawa-wal-Irshad. Despite being banned by the Government of Pakistan in January 2002, LET continues to operate in Kashmir and engage in or support terrorist activities worldwide, the US statement said.
The US named LET a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) on December 26, 2001.
"Any assets these designees have under U.S. Jurisdiction will be frozen and U.S. Persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the designees.
Source: PTINEWS
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