The U.S. Department of State has put North Caucasus-based Caucasus Emirate on its official list of terrorist groups, it said on its website on Thursday.
"The Secretary of State has designated North Caucasus-based Caucasus Emirate (Imarat Kavkaz, IK) under Presidential Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists, terrorist organizations or acts of terrorism," the statement reads. "This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to the group."
"Imarat Kavkaz uses bombings, shootings and attempted assassinations to provoke a revolution and expel the Russian government from the North Caucasus region," the statement continues.
The United States earlier on Thursday announced that it had added Russia's most wanted terrorist Doku Umarov to the Rewards for Justice program, offering $5 million for information on his whereabouts.
Umarov has claimed responsibility for all the main terror attacks in Russia in recent years, including the bombing at Domodedovo Airport in January that killed 37 people and last March's twin suicide attacks on the Moscow subway in which 40 people died.
During the G8 summit in Deauville, France, Russia and the United States also issued a joint statement in which they agreed to further cooperate in fighting al Qaeda. The sides said they will address the issue of fighting terrorism within various multilateral forums, including the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and another multinational anti-terrorism forum to be established in the near future, as well as during UN and G8 meetings.
The countries also agreed to cooperate in strengthening air passenger security.
WASHINGTON, May 26 (RIA Novosti)
