U.S. Treasury sanctions al-Qaeda leaders in Syria

The U.S. Treasury Department is levying sanctions on two individuals suspected of supporting al-Qaeda in Syria.

A department official said the action on Wednesday underscores U.S. concern about al-Qaeda networks moving money and fighters to extremist groups in Syria.

The two are being designated as global terrorists. They are thought to be acting on behalf of al-Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The action freezes any assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits Americans from doing business with them.

The two individuals are known informally as al-Juhni and al-Qaduli. They are suspected of handling a range of duties, including arranging payments, passing messages, providing intelligence and arranging meetings for al-Qaeda.