US State Department Identifies New Terrorist Outfit

The Department of State has today designated the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade (YMB) as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity under Executive Order

(E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign entities determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.

In a Press statement received by Elombah.com, dated 09 June 2016, the US govt said “As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which the YMB has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the YMB”.

See all E.O. 13324 listings designated by the Department of State

The YMB was formed in August 2012 in Deraa, Syria and has staged attacks throughout southern Syria, particularly along the Israeli and Jordanian borders. It distinguished itself from other groups in Syria through kidnapping operations targeting UN personnel, including the March 2013 abduction of 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers and the May 2013 capture of another four Filipino peacekeepers from the Golan Heights.

The group cooperated closely with al-Nusrah Front through 2014, but the YMB has since pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The imposition of sanctions by the United States against terrorists is a powerful tool. Today’s action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that YMB is actively engaged in terrorism. Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system.

“Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments”, US state dept. stated.

In another development, the fourth deadliest known terrorist group has been named as the Fulani militant group operating in Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic.

The little-known group, formed of individuals from the semi-nomadic pastoral ethnic group Fula people existing across several West African nations, has seen a dramatic escalation of its activities in the past year.

In 2013, the Fulani killed around 80 people in total – but by 2014 the group had killed 1,229.

Operating mainly in the middle belt of Nigeria, opposed to the north which is dominated by Boko Haram, the group recorded 847 deaths last year across five states, and has also been known to stage attacks in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to the latest report from the Global Terrorism Index.  

This year they have moved their activities to the South East and South South of Nigeria.

In the past year Nigeria has experienced the greatest increase in deaths from terrorism, with 7,512 deaths reported – an increase of over 300 per cent – most of which have been claimed by Boko Haram

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