Saudi-led bloc adds scholars’ union to terror list

A Saudi-led Arab bloc arrayed against Qatar -- including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- announced late Wednesday that it had added two entities and 11 individuals to its terrorist list.

The additions include two Doha-based NGOs: the International Islamic Council and the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) led by prominent Egyptian scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

The four countries said in a joint statement that the entities added to the list constituted "terrorist organizations working to promote terrorism through the exploitation of Islamic discourse, which they use as cover to carry out various terrorist activities".

"The 11 individuals [added to the list] have carried out various terrorist operations for which they received direct Qatari support," the statement -- carried by Saudi, Egyptian and Bahraini news agencies -- read.

The IUMS has yet to comment on the development.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups in the region.

Qatar, for its part, has denied the accusations, describing the attempts to isolate it as a breach of international law.