The United States moved Thursday to blacklist a group of companies it said covertly helped Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militia acquire components for surveillance drones. The U.S. Treasury placed sanctions on Beirut-based Stars Group Holding, which it said purchased electronics and other technology via offices in China and Dubai to support Hezbollah’s military operations.

That included the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that the Shiite group had used in support of Syria’s Assad regime against rebels, and were also used recently for surveillance over Israel, the Treasury said. The material bought by Stars Group included engines, communications, electronics, and navigation equipment acquired from suppliers in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. [Link]