WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The United States (US) on Thursday named three alleged leaders of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram as 'foreign terrorists', the first time it has blacklisted members of the Islamist group blamed for attacks across Africa's most populous nation.
The State Department identified the three as Abubakar Shekau, calling him the 'most visible' leader of the group, and Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid Al-Barnawi, who it said were tied both to Boko Haram and to Al-Qaeda's north African wing.
'These designations demonstrate the United States' resolve in diminishing the capacity of Boko Haram to execute violent attacks,' it said, saying that Boko Haram or associated militants were responsible for more than 1,000 deaths in the past 18 months.
The action by the State and Treasury Departments, first reported by Reuters on Wednesday, followed growing pressure on the Obama administration to take stronger action against Boko Haram, which has stepped up attacks on Christian places of worship this year in its drive to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria.
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