The United States has designated a militant commander in southeastern Afghanistan a terrorist, a measure that the U.S. says will help stem the flow of funds to the militant leader.

The State Department said Tuesday that any assets belonging to Sangeen Zadran in the U.S. are frozen. The designation also bars Americans from doing business with Zadran.

U.S. officials say Zadran is the shadow governor of Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province and a commander of the Pakistan-based Haqqani network.

The militant network, which operates from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, has launched a number of high-profile attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.

The State Department says Zadran has been connected to many roadside bombings and kidnappings of Afghans and foreign nations in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Zadran has also been designated a terrorist by the United Nations.