US blacklists Osama bin Laden's son as terrorist

The United States on Thursday designated Hamza bin Laden, son of late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, as terrorist, the State Department said in a statement.

As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Hamza bin Laden has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him.

On August 14, 2015, Hamza bin Laden was officially announced by al-Qaeda senior leader Ayman al-Zawahiri as an official member of the group.

Hamza bin Laden has called for acts of terrorism in Western capitals and threatened revenge against the United States, said the State Department, adding that in 2016, he also called on Saudi Arabian-based tribes to unite with al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen to wage war against Saudi Arabia.

Hamza bin Laden was born in 1989 in Saudi Arabia. His father Osama bin Laden, founder and former leader of al-Qaeda, was shot and killed on May 2, 2011 in Pakistan during a covert operation conducted by the United States.

source: Xinhua