Hezbollah slams EU blacklisting of its armed wing

Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah described the EU's decision to add its military wing to the bloc's terrorist list as "hostile and unjust" and "written by American hands and with Zionist ink".

In a statement issued late Monday, the party said the EU's move "does not at all reflect the interests of the peoples of the EU and contradicts with its values and aspirations that support the principles of freedom and independence", Xinhua reported.

The EU decided Monday to put the military wing of Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations.

The decision came after an EU foreign ministerS meeting overcame reservations among some member states that such a move would further destabilize Lebanon, where the militant group plays a major role.

Following the EU vote, the Lebanese government asked the EU not to blacklist Hezbollah on the grounds that it was an "essential component of Lebanese society".

Hezbollah's military wing was reportedly responsible for a number of high-profile attacks globally, including a deadly assault on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year and a similar incident in Cyprus in March.

In addition, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged in April that his troops were assisting Syrian army in its fight against the West-backed opposition fighters.