US sanctions 2 leaders of LeT

Sanctions bar US citizens from doing business with the two men and freeze any assets they hold under US jurisdiction.

WASHINGTON: US officials on Wednesday imposed financial sanctions on two leaders of a Pakistan-based militant group with links to the Al-Qaeda network.

The US Treasury Department named Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, leaders and founding members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group on the US terrorist list since 2001.

"Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi are two of LeT's most significant leaders," David Cohen, Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

"Over the past 20 years, Iqbal and Bhuttavi have been responsible for fundraising, recruitment, and indoctrination of operatives," he said.

"By targeting the core of LeT's leadership, today's action aims to degrade its ability to facilitate its terrorist activities."

The sanctions bar US citizens from doing business with the two men and freeze any assets that they may hold under US jurisdiction.