WASHINGTON, Dec 23: The United States on Tuesday re-designated Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar-i-Tayyiba as foreign terrorist organizations.

The re-designation order, signed by Secretary of State Colin Powell, said the ban becomes effective immediately.

The two groups were first designated foreign terrorist organizations in 2001 and the initial designations are due to expire on Dec 26, 2003.

“By re-designating Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar-i-Tayyiba and publishing that decision in the Federal Register, we preserve the US government’s ability to take action against them,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

The order also forbids people attached with the two groups from entering the United States or areas subject to US jurisdiction.

It also forbids US citizens, including Muslims living in this country, from providing material support to these groups.

The order requires US financial institutions to block assets held by them, and it enables authorities to deny visas to representatives of these groups.