The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to cut funding sources to the extremists groups of Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), by efficiently choking off their illegal earnings from oil trading, trafficking of antiquities and ransom payments.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member UN body reaffirms that all nations "shall prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts."

The council warned that any oil trading with IS, ANF or any other groups associated with Al-Qaeda would constitute support for these groups and can be sanctioned. Under the resolution, all 193 UN member countries are demanded to freeze relevant funds, financial assets and economic resources of IS, ANF and related groups.

While condemning the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria by these extremist groups, the council is concerned that IS, ANF and other groups "are generating income from engaging directly or indirectly in the looting and smuggling of cultural heritage items from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, archives, and other sites in Iraq and Syria." The council urged all countries to take measures to prevent such illegal activities.

It also called on governments to "prevent terrorists from benefiting directly or indirectly from ransom payments or political concessions" for the release of hostages.

The resolution also urged governments to take steps to ensure that financial institutions within their territory prevent IS, ANF or other groups from accessing the international financial system. The council reaffirmed measures on weapon embargo and asset freeze. It demanded all nations should report on the measures they are taking to cut off the financial resources of these extremist groups within 120 days.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon, said that the fight against IS, ANF and Al Qaida "goes much beyond the direct military intervention" and the resolution is welcome.

"There's a clear resolution from the Security Council which will limit the access to funds to these groups and also touches up the issue of historical artifacts and the trade in illegal artifacts," said Dujarric at a regular briefing.

"I think not only is it a source of illegal revenues for these groups that enables them to continue to operate but by robbing the past of a country you rob its future," Dujarric said. "We've seen it in Syria, We've seen it in Iraq. We're destroying the rich history of these countries which will make it that much more difficult for the future."

Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Iraqi permanent representative to the UN, told reporters that there are some dealers in eastern Europe who are buying these antiquities.

"It's illegal to sell them. It's illegal to buy them and this resolution indicated that. We will continue to follow on this and we will ask the Security Council committee to follow up every 120 days on this..." Syrian permanent representative to the UN Bashar Jaafari echoed the Iraqi diplomat's remarks by saying that both Syria and Iraq are hit seriously by this kind of illegal trade.

In August 2014, the UN Security Council adopted a similar resolution but without much detail to choke off the financial resources of IS and ANF and stop the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria.

A UN committee report on IS and ANF in November 2014 noted that IS is "a self-sufficient organization with diversified funding streams." It pointed out that its financial sources included the sale of crude oil, kidnapping for ransom, extortion and external donations. Endite

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