Saudi Arabia Imposes Sanctions on Two Hizbullah Members for 'Terrorist Actions'

Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it has imposed sanctions on two prominent members of Hizbullah on charges of “carrying out terrorist acts throughout the Middle East,” reported the Saudi Press Agency according to a statement issued by the kingdom.

It identified them as Khalil Harb and Mohammed Qabalan.

It accused them of supporting the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad and of helping fund various factions in Yemen, added the statement.

The kingdom declared its commitment to “combating Hizbullah's terrorist activity through all possible means.”

“It will also continue to cooperate with its partners all over the world to stress that no one should remain silent over Hizbullah's military and extremist actions,” it added.

Furthermore, it said that it will freeze the assets linked to Harb and Qabalan, saying that Saudi citizens will be prohibited from working with them.

Harb worked as a deputy within Hizbullah and later as a leader of its central military unit.

He oversaw a number of its military operations in the Middle East, added Saudi Arabia's statement.

Moreover, he was responsible for Hizbullah's activity in Yemen and “helped the party in its political meddling in the country,” explained the statement.

Qabalan was meanwhile identified as “a leader of Hizbullah's terrorist cell.”

“He acted as chief of its infantry unit and head of unit 1800,” said the statement.

“He headed a terrorist Hizbullah cell in Egypt that targeted tourist sites there in cooperation with members of the cell in Lebanon,” it continued.

The Saudi Press Agency revealed that an Egyptian court had sentenced in 2010 Qabalan to life in prison for his links to Hizbullah's 1800 unit.

Tensions have been high between Hizbullah and the kingdom following the latter's airstrike campaign against Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The party has been critical of the campaign, accusing Saudi Arabia of meddling in the neighboring country's affairs and of carrying out an assault against it.

M.T.