Description

The UN Security Council Committee has removed Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant (including Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham/HTS) from the ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List, lifting the assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo effective 27 February 2026.

Summary

The UN Security Council Committee (pursuant to resolutions 1267/1989/2253) has removed one entry — Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant (QDe.137), also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — from the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List, effective 27 February 2026. BSE has communicated this update to market participants for compliance with Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Key Points

  • Entry removed: Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant (QDe.137), listed on 14 May 2014
  • Also known as: Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Jabhat Fath al-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusrah, and numerous other aliases
  • The assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo under UNSC resolution 2734 (2024) Chapter VII no longer apply to this entity
  • The entity operated in Syrian Arab Republic with a support network in Iraq
  • Removal decision was made by the UNSC Committee on 27 February 2026

Regulatory Changes

  • Al-Nusrah Front / HTS (QDe.137) has been delisted from the UNSC 1267/1989 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List
  • All sanctions measures (assets freeze, travel ban, arms embargo) previously applicable under UNSC resolution 2734 (2024) are lifted for this entity
  • Market participants must update their sanctions screening databases and watchlists accordingly

Compliance Requirements

  • All SEBI-registered intermediaries, brokers, depositories, and financial institutions must update their AML/CFT screening systems to reflect the removal of this entity
  • Compliance with Section 51A of UAPA, 1967 requires timely updating of designated lists
  • Entities should refer to the UNSC Committee’s website (www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267) for the updated sanctions list
  • Any previously frozen assets related solely to this listing may need to be reviewed for unfreezing in accordance with applicable law

Important Dates

  • 27 February 2026: UNSC Committee decision to remove Al-Nusrah Front / HTS from the sanctions list
  • 6 March 2026: BSE circular issued communicating this update to market participants

Impact Assessment

This circular has no direct impact on Indian stock markets or listed securities. It is a mandatory compliance communication requiring financial intermediaries to update their sanctions screening lists under UAPA Section 51A obligations. Firms with robust AML/CFT compliance frameworks should process this as a routine watchlist update. The removal of HTS from the UNSC sanctions list reflects the changed geopolitical situation in Syria following HTS’s role in the fall of the Assad government in late 2024.

Impact Justification

Regulatory compliance circular requiring market intermediaries to update their UAPA/AML screening lists. No direct market or stock-specific impact, but obligatory compliance update for brokers, banks, and financial institutions conducting sanctions screening.