The United States on Thursday declared Karnataka-born alleged Islamic State operative Mohammad Shafi Armar a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Besides Armar, Belgian-Moroccan Oussama Ahmad Atar and Mohammed Isa Yousif Saqar Al Binali from Bahrain were designated SDGTs as well.

The US State Treasury Department on Thursday said Armar was the head recruiter in India of the Islamic State group. “He has cultivated a group of dozens of Islamic States sympathisers who are involved in terrorist activities across India, such as plotting attacks, procuring weapons, and identifying locations for terrorist training camps,” a statement said.

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The US State Department has also listed out Armar’s aliases – Anjan Bhai, Chote Maula and Yousuf al-Hindi. “Today’s action notifies the US public and the international community that Atar, Armar, and Binali have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism,” the department said.

Bhatkal-born Armar was a member of the banned Indian Mujahideen group before he joined the Islamic State group. He had allegedly started Junood al Khalifa-e-Hind as the militant group’s India wing and had recruited at least 30 Indians. He is also believed to be close to Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Armar is said to have contacted several youths from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Facebook and other social media platforms. When militant Yasin Bhatkar was interrogated in 2013, Armar’s links to the Islamic State group were highlighted. He has been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attackss in Delhi and during the ardh kumbh festival in Haridwar.

Atar, according to the US statement, was the lead coordinator of the Paris attacks in November 2015 and March 2016 attacks in Brussels. Banali has appeared in many Islamic State propaganda videos asking Bahrainis to join the militant group, the statement added.