WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department has classified Hamza bin Laden, son of former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, as an international terrorist.
The State Department said the younger bin Laden was officially drafted into the terror group by its new leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in an Internet broadcast in 2015. Since then, the younger bin Laden has called for lone wolf attacks against the United States, France and Israel, the State Department said.
The terrorist designation freezes bin Laden’s U.S.-held assets and prevents him from doing business with any U.S. banks or financial institutions.
Hamza bin Laden is believed to be in his mid-20s. He is one of bin Laden’s 11 known sons.
