Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade designated terrorist by US
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, an Islamic State-aligned militia group operating in southern Syria, has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States.
Labelling it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, “I hereby determine that the entity known as Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade… committed, or poses 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,” reads a statement from US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Designating the Yarmourk Martyrs Brigade as a terrorist organization exposes and isolates the group, and leaves members and associates, including financial backers, open to prosecution under American law.
It will also likely exclude the Yarmourk Martyrs Brigade from any ceasefires in Syria, just as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra have not been protected by cessations of hostilities.
The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade formed in southern Syria in August 2012 in the area of the Yarmouk Valley. The group initially aligned with Jabhat al-Nusra but, in 2014 it pledge allegiance to the Islamic State.
In March 2013, the Brigade captured 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers and held them for three days.
In May of the same year, they captured another four Filipino UN peacekeepers, releasing them a week later.
The peacekeepers were all patrolling the Golan Heights border area between Syria and Israel.
Labelling it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, “I hereby determine that the entity known as Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade… committed, or poses 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,” reads a statement from US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Designating the Yarmourk Martyrs Brigade as a terrorist organization exposes and isolates the group, and leaves members and associates, including financial backers, open to prosecution under American law.
It will also likely exclude the Yarmourk Martyrs Brigade from any ceasefires in Syria, just as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra have not been protected by cessations of hostilities.
The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade formed in southern Syria in August 2012 in the area of the Yarmouk Valley. The group initially aligned with Jabhat al-Nusra but, in 2014 it pledge allegiance to the Islamic State.
In March 2013, the Brigade captured 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers and held them for three days.
In May of the same year, they captured another four Filipino UN peacekeepers, releasing them a week later.
The peacekeepers were all patrolling the Golan Heights border area between Syria and Israel.