New Zealand citizen part of group hit with terror sanctions from the US

The United States is imposing sanctions on seven people, including New Zealand citizens, for allegedly supporting the Islamic State group or al Qaeda, including a member of the IS cell dubbed "The Beatles".

As part of the sanctions US citizens have been officially told not to do business with a New Zealander in Syria.

The State Department's declared Mark John Taylor a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

It says it's a notice for the US and the rest of the world he's a significant risk.

The sanction bans Americans from doing business with him and blocks any assets he has in the US.

State Department officials say Taylor's been fighting in Syria with ISIS since 2014.

They say he's used social media to encourage terrorist attacks here and in Australia.

Taylor in the past has been called the bumbling jihadist.

He once mistakenly sent out his exact location by forgetting to turn off the tracking function on his phone.

The State Department is also declaring El Shafee Elsheikh as a global terrorist. He was one of the British-sounding captors accused of beheading hostages.

The US is also targeting radical British preacher Anjem Choudary, who has said he will continue recruiting for Isis after being sentenced to a British prison.

Others included are an accused Swedish al Qaeda member, a Malaysian and Indonesian for allegedly plotting Isis attacks, and citizens of Tobago accused of fighting for Isis in Syria.

- Additonal reporting: AP