The United States has added to its official terrorism list the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, which claimed credit for last month's assault on a Pakistani school that killed 134 children and 16 staff members.
The State Department on Tuesday named Maulana Fazlullah, also known as Mullah Fazlullah, a "specially designated global terrorist," a label meant to target "terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism."
The designation makes it a crime for U.S. citizens to engage in transactions with Fazlullah. It also allows the U.S. government to seize any of his property or interests that are in the United States, including those under the control of U.S. citizens.
The United States designated the Pakistani Taliban a terrorist group in 2010.
The State Department said that before becoming the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Fazlullah claimed to be behind the killing of Pakistani Army General Sanaullah Niazi in 2013, and that he ordered the 2012 assassination attempt on Pakistani schoolgirl and activist Malala Yousafzai, who last year won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The State Department said Fazlullah also was responsible for the beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers after an attack in 2012.
