Daily Times

The United States has imposed sanctions on 20 people accused of financially supporting ISIS, or Da’esh, and al-Qaeda operations in the Maldives, with several of those sanctioned allegedly having been involved in planning attacks on journalists and local authorities. Among those sanctioned was Mohamad Ameen, who has been accused of being a key recruiter for ISIS-K.

“The United States will continue to deter and disrupt financial and other support for terrorist attacks in Maldives,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement issued on Monday Monday’s sanctions named key members of the ISIS-affiliated Addu City cell, which has attempted to carry out terrorist attacks since at least 2018, the US said.

Jinaau Naseem, the self-proclaimed leader of the cell, has provided financial support to foreign terrorist fighters in Syria.

Other members of the cell are accused of planning an IED attack, producing propaganda and enabling the travel of members to Syria. They were also designated by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for having assisted ISIS with financial or technological support. The new sanctions also named people participating in a Maldives-based gang that helped fund ISIS activities and prepare potential members to be sent to areas of conflict.