The United States has designated a senior leader of the Islamist insurgency in Russia's North Caucasus as a terrorist, subjecting him to sanctions.
The U.S. State Department announced the designation of Aliaskhab Kebekov, the leader of the Caucasus Emirate extremist group, in a statement on March 25.
It said Kebekov is "a Specially Designated Global Terrorist," meaning that "all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Kebekov has any interest is blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with him or to his benefit."
Kebekov, who succeeded longtime Caucasus Emirate leader Doku Umarov, whose death was reported in March 2014 by a website close to the militants in the North Caucasus.
The Russian Federal Security Service claimed in April that it had "neutralized" Umarov's activities, suggesting it had killed him.
The Caucasus Emirate's insurgency stems from two post-Soviet separatist wars in the North Caucasus province of Chechnya.
The United States designated it as a terrorist group by the United States.
Kebekov is from Daghestan, adjacent to Chechnya.
