RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has designated two senior officials of the Lebanese Hezbollah group as terrorists, alleging their involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen and responsibility for operations across the Middle East, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. SPA identified one of them as Khalil Youssef Harb and said he was a military commander in charge of Hezbollah's activities in Yemen. It named the second as Mohammed Qabalan who had been convicted by an Egyptian court in absentia in 2010 for activities in the country. The Kingdom had imposed financial sanctions on the two, including freezing their assets and banning Saudis from any dealings with them, SPA said. Earlier, the Ministry of Interior said it is scrutinizing the bank accounts and monetary activities of 44 Lebanese who are allegedly members of Hezbollah. A ministry source said these people are banned from entering the Kingdom, Al-Hayat reported. The Kingdom does not condone any act of terrorism or the support of terrorism, the source said. “Regardless of who people define as a terrorist and who isn't one, the Kingdom does not condone anyone participating in any political war or joining any political party,” it added. “These 44 Lebanese are under close scrutiny. They are not allowed to enter the Kingdom or invest in the country,” the source said. “The Kingdom is taking the necessary precautions to protect its people. The ministry is trying to track them down and locate them.” The ministry is still gathering information on these 44 names and anybody associated with them will be put under surveillance as well, said the source.
