The United States and six Gulf nations—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar—have imposed sanctions on 15 senior Al-Shabaab operatives accused of bankrolling terrorism in Somalia.
The coordinated move, spearheaded by the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), takes aim at key figures behind the militant group’s revenue streams, including extortion, kidnappings, and deadly IED attacks.
The sanctions freeze the operatives’ assets and restrict their financial dealings, dealing a blow to Al-Shabaab’s ability to fund its violent insurgency.
The TFTC, a U.S.-Gulf partnership based in Riyadh, has intensified efforts to dismantle terror networks by cutting off their financial lifelines.
This action underscores a growing international push to weaken Al-Shabaab’s grip on Somalia, where the group continues to wage a brutal campaign through attacks and illicit taxation schemes.