US imposes new sanctions on Assad supporters

The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it would impose new sanctions “on those supporting the Syrian regime’s procurement of specialty fuels and base oil used in its military campaign against the Syrian people.”

The Treasury department designated 11 individuals and entities from in four countries including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

“We are committed to exposing, isolating, and targeting the Syrian regime’s support networks,” said David S. Cohen, under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. “So long as the illegitimate (Bashar) Assad regime carries out brutal attacks on its own people, we will seek to disrupt its critical military support networks and increase the financial and economic pressure it faces.”

As the Syrian conflict between opposition armed groups and Assad regime forces enters its fourth year, millions of Syrians have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and other neighboring countries.

Approximately 3.2 million people have fled beyond Syria’s borders, and more than 7.2 million have become internally displaced since 2011, according to United Nations.