The US State Department has listed four Moroccans, affiliated with ISIS, on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.
Rabat – Based on US Department of Treasury data, published on September 13, Four Moroccans are on the list of Washington’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.
One of the Moroccan terrorists on the list is Anas El Abboubi who currently lives in Syria, having joined ISIS in 2013.
Anas El Abboubi, believed to be dead following fighting in Syria, was an Italian citizen of Moroccan descent.
El Abboubi, known in Italy by his stage name Mc Khalifa, was previously arrested by Italian counter-terrorism police in June 2013 for jihadist propaganda. He had created a blog titled “Sharia4Italy,” and used it to incite to racial hatred.
El Abboubi was taken into police custody in Italy in 2013 for plotting an attack in northern Italy and recruiting individuals for militant activity in Syria. He was released after two weeks in custody and later fled to Syria to join ISIS.
In 2016, The Obama administration imposed sanctions on El Abboubi for joining ISIS. The State Department, then, included him in its list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.
The second Moroccan terrorist on the blacklist is Abdallah Hamch nicknamed “Abu Souleymane”. He is the commander of the Tarek Ibn Zyad battalion of 300 foreign fighters affiliated with ISIS.
Abu Souleymane was often mentioned following the terrorist attacks perpetrated on November 13, 2015, in Paris killing 131 people. ISIS took responsibility for the attacks. US intelligence identified the veteran fighter as a potential mastermind behind the Paris terrorist attacks.
The other two Moroccans on the US list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons are Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Abrini. They were also involved in the attacks in Paris and the attack on Brussels airport.
