WASHINGTON: The United States added the Kashmiri group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen to its blacklist of terrorist organizations on Wednesday, amid renewed protests against Indian occupation in the region. US authorities had already designated the group’s leader, Syed Salahuddin, a ‘global terrorist’, but he is still able to operate in Azad Kashmir, where his group has strong support. The State Department designation bans US citizens and residents from dealing with the group and any assets found to belong to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in areas under US jurisdiction will be frozen. “Today’s action notifies the US public and the international community that HM is a terrorist organization,” the department said. Published in Daily Times, August 17th 2017.