US lifts $10 million reward for info on Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani

The United States has removed a $10 million reward offer for information leading to the arrest of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Afghan interior ministry confirmed on March 22. 

Haqqani, a key Taliban leader, heads the Haqqani Network, a U.S.-designated terrorist group known for orchestrating high-profile attacks against foreign and Afghan forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The FBI had previously listed Haqqani as a wanted individual, offering the reward for his capture. However, the Taliban have consistently denied the existence of separate factions within their ranks. While the U.S. State Department has yet to officially comment on the matter, the FBI’s website still displays the bounty, stating Haqqani is “believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan.”

This development comes shortly after the Taliban secured the release of an American citizen detained in Afghanistan for over two years. George Glezmann, a Delta Airlines mechanic from Atlanta, had been held since 2022 after travelling to Kabul as a tourist. His release was facilitated through direct negotiations between U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials, and he departed Afghanistan aboard a Qatari aircraft bound for Qatar on Thursday.

In a separate but related incident, Sirajuddin Haqqani’s uncle, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, who served as the Taliban’s acting minister for refugees, was killed in a December 2023 explosion in Kabul along with six others.

Sirajuddin Haqqani played a key role in the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021 but initially maintained a low profile. While he engaged in diplomatic meetings, his presence was often obscured in official photographs. His first public appearance came in March 2022, breaking a long period of secrecy.

The Haqqani family has been deeply involved in Afghanistan’s conflicts for decades. Sirajuddin is the son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a Mujahideen commander who fought against Soviet forces in the 1980s before joining the Taliban and serving as a minister in their previous government.

By Khagan Isayev