U.S. sanctions ISIS-Somalia smuggling network

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned a network of arms traffickers and associated businesses for supporting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s Somali branch, ISIS-Somalia.

The ISIS-Somalia-linked individuals have been designated under the Bush-era Executive Order 13224, which allows the U.S. Government to sanction individuals and entities linked to terrorism.

Brazilian ISIS-supporter Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr, who was ordered to obtain weapons for the Islamic State in 2016, has also been designated by the U.S. along with multiple other individuals, according to a press release on Tuesday from the Department of the Treasury.

ISIS-Somalia leader Abdiqadr Mumin pledged allegiance to ISIS in October 2015 after commanding an A-Shabaab faction based in the Somali region of Puntland. The State Department designated ISIS-Somalia and Mumin as Specially Designated Global Terrorists in Feb. 2018.

“Today we take direct aim at the network’s funding and supplying both ISIS-Somalia and Al Shabaab that support their violent acts,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

Along with Abdalla Bakr, several individuals linked to ISIS-Somalia have been designated:

Liibaan Yousuf Mohamed, the head of Liibaan General Trading Co. who has financially supported ISIS-Somalia.

Abdirahman Mohamed Omar, an ISIS-Somalia member who has facilitated significant arms traffic for the terrorist group.

Mahad Isse Aden, a weapons smuggler who has facilitated the transfer of weapons via smugglers from Iran and Yemen.

Isse Mohamoud Yusuf, a Somali arms smuggler accused of transporting weapons from Yemen to Somalia.

Abdirahman Fahiye Isse Mohamud, an Emir in Mumin’s organization is suspected of coordinating the May 23, 2017, suicide bombing that killed five people in Bosaso Somalia.

Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye, a suspected financier and former head of Al Shabaab’s intelligence wing Amniyat.

Ahmed Haji ALi Haji Omar, a major weapons smuggler within ISIS-Somalia.