• German police also conducted early morning raids on mosque associations in four cities

Saudi Arabia on Thursday welcomed Germany’s decision to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and ban it from the country.

The Kingdom' foreign ministry described the move as an important step in the international battle against terrorism and urged the international community to follow suit.

Germany said Thursday it had banned all activity by the Iran-backed Hezbollah on its soil.

“Even in times of crisis, the rule of law is capable of acting,” an interior ministry spokesman said.

Police raided four mosque associations in Dortmund and Muenster in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen and Berlin which they believe are close to Hezbollah, the interior ministry said.  Security officials believe up to 1,050 people in Germany are part of Hezbollah’s extremist wing.

Germany had previously distinguished between Hezbollah’s political arm and its military units, which have fought alongside President Bashar Assad’s army in Syria.

A heavily armed Shiite Islamist group already designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Hezbollah is also a significant backer of the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, which took office in January.

The US, which along with Israel had been pushing Germany to ban the organization, also welcomed Germany’s decision.

Last December, Germany’s parliament approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to ban all activities by Hezbollah on German soil, citing its “terrorist activities” especially in Syria.

On a trip to Berlin last year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah. Britain introduced legislation in February of last year that classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

The European Union classifies Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.

*With Reuters