U.S. Blocks Assets Of Captured Haqqani Chief

The U.S. State Department says it is blacklisting a captured commander of the Haqqani insurgent network.

The move identifies Haqqani commander Mali Khan as a specially-designated global terrorist and blocks any assets he may have in U.S. jurisdictions.

The State Department said in a statement that all assets "subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Mali Khan has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him."

Under the move, Americans are also banned from providing Khan with material support.

Khan was captured in September during a joint NATO-Afghan operation in Afghanistan's southeastern in Paktiya province.

The Haqqani network is widely believed to have been involved in the assassination in September of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was heading the country's reconciliation body -- the High Peace Council.

It is also thought to have been complicit in a June attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul in which 12 people were killed.

compiled from agency reports