Washington

Lafarge, a French cement major, has been fined $778 million for supporting terror groups, including the Islamic State, during the Syrian civil war.

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The US Justice Department said that Lafarge SA paid “middlemen” $12.8 million to let its Syrian cement factory run between 2013 and 2014, when the country was torn apart by the civil war.

They further said that the cement company, which merged with Switzerland's Holcim in 2015, also paid another terror group, al Nusra Front, around $5.92m to protect staff at the plant.

"In the midst of a civil war, Lafarge made the unthinkable choice to put money into the hands of ISIS, one of the world's most barbaric terrorist organizations, so that it could continue selling cement," US Justice Department prosecutor Breon Peace said, reports AFP news agency.

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In a statement, Larfage acknowledged its crime and "deeply regretted" the events, and "accepted responsibility for the individual executives involved".

"We have agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations in Syria," it said.

"Lafarge SA and Lafarge Cement Syria have accepted responsibility for the actions of the individual executives involved, whose behaviour was in flagrant violation of Lafarge's Code of Conduct."

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"We deeply regret that this conduct occurred and have worked with the US Department of Justice to resolve this matter."

In 2010, Lafarge opened its subsidiary cement factory in Jalabiya near the Turkish border. It had invested $680 million.

But in 2014, the company seized its operations after the Islamic State took control of the town and the factory.

Apart from the company, eight Lafarge executives, including former CEO Bruno Laffont, are also charged with financing a terrorist group and/or endangering the lives of others.

(With inputs from agencies)

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