President's Office has published its official list of terror groups.
Before publishing the list, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had announced earlier the list was finalised following counsel from the National Security Council. The president said he believes the list would enable the government to mitigate terrorism acts in the country.
The list includes 17 terrorist organisations including ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Other terror organisations published by the government on the watch list include Jabhat al-Nusra (Jabhat Fatah al-Sham or Al-Nusra Front), Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Abu Sayyaf Group, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammed, ISIS Khorasan Province (Wilayah Khorasan), National Thowheeth Jama'ath, Jamat Millat-e-Ibrahim and Wilayah al Seylani.
The list, which was compiled under clause 18b of Anti-terrorism Act, will be closely observed by Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) with counsel from the National Security Council.
The government has also proposed amendments to the Anti-terrorism Act to deter religious extremism in the Maldives.