US sanctions target Taliban leadership

WASHINGTON - The US announced Thursday it was placing sanctions on three senior Taliban officials accused of playing key roles in the militant group’s finances.

The sanctions target Gul Agha Ishakzai, the head of the Taliban’s financial commission and key adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Omar; Amir Abdullah, a former treasurer to a senior Taliban leader; and Nasiruddin Haqqani, an envoy for the Haqqani Network; the Treasury Department said.

The Haqqani Network is affiliated with the Taliban, operating in North Waziristan in Pakistan to help spearhead the insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan.