After President Donald Trump’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the US sent Pakistan a strong signal for sponsoring terrorism. The US had declared Syed Salahuddin, chief of Kashmiri militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, as a global terrorist.
This puts counter-terrorism cooperation between India and the US at the front and centre of the relationship.
A statement issued by the US State Department said that it has designated “Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.”
As a consequence of this action, it said that US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with Salahuddin and all of Salahuddin’s property. Interests in property subject to the United States jurisdiction are also blocked.
The statement also said that Salahuddin, a senior leader of the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), had in September 2016 vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir valley “into a graveyard for Indian forces”.
Under Salahuddin’s tenure as senior leader, Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people.
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