The British government designated on Friday two Bahraini and two Egyptian groups as terrorist.
The Ashtar Brigades and Saraya al-Mokhtar of Bahrain and the Hasm and Revolution Brigade of Egypt were approved to be blacklisted during a vote at the British parliament.
The ruling prohibits carrying out any deals or contacts with the organizations. The assets of the Bahraini and Egyptian groups will be frozen.
The Home Office said that the blacklisting sends a strong message against terrorist recruitment and financing.
Home ministers said that the Ashtar Brigades was responsible for several terrorist attacks in Bahrain. The Saraya al-Mokhtar was responsible for glorifying terrorism through social media.
The British Embassy in Cairo said London’s blacklisting of the two Egyptian groups came in wake of the attacks they carried out against the people and Egyptian security.
The British decision would help hinder these groups’ terrorist activity, it added.
British Ambassador to Egypt John Casson declared that London will not abandon Cairo in its battle against terrorism.
“Today, we are using complete British legal power against terrorist organizations that have killed several people in Egypt and that are enemies to us all,” he added.
For its part, Bahrain welcomed the British parliament decision, saying that the two blacklisted groups are a threat to the kingdom’s security and stability, reported the Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
Bahrain praised the United Kingdom as the first NATO member country to proscribe these groups as terrorist organizations, noting that the order reflects the UK government’s long-standing commitment to combatting terrorism and extremist ideologies on the global level.
Bahrain stressed the importance of continued collaboration between international partners to counter terrorism in all its forms, highlighting that global security can only be upheld through common strategic and operational approaches.
It called for the international community to follow the United Kingdom’s responsible action in the fight against terrorism by proscribing these groups as terrorist organizations.
