Turkey blacklists Libya’s Ansar al-Sharia

Turkey blacklists Libya’s Ansar al-Sharia

ANKARA

A picture taken on October 22, 2014 in Libya's eastern coastal city of Benghazi shows smoke billowing from buildings. The Libyan air force had pounded them as they were reportedly storing ammunition belonging to Benghazi-based Islamist Ansar al-Sharia group. AFP Photo

Turkey has added Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia to its terror list following a United Nations Security Council decision taken last week.

The group, which is accused of involvement in the September 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, was declared a terrorist organization in Turkey with a decision published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 26.

Last week, the U.N. announced measures against Ansar al-Sharia for its ties to al-Qaeda, resulting in an arms embargo, assets freeze and global travel ban against the extremists following requests from Britain, France and the United States.