The United States has removed a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, according to an Afghan interior ministry spokesperson.
Haqqani, who serves as Afghanistan’s interior minister, was previously on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) most-wanted list. The US had accused him of coordinating attacks against American and coalition forces.
He leads the Haqqani network, which the US considers a terrorist organisation due to its role in major attacks during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban deny the existence of separate factions within their ranks.
The US State Department has not yet commented. The FBI website still displays the reward, stating that Haqqani participated in cross-border attacks against US and coalition forces.
Taliban secure release of US citizen
This decision follows the Taliban’s recent release of an American citizen held in Afghanistan for over two years. His release came after direct talks between US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials in Kabul.
George Glezmann, a Delta Airlines mechanic from Atlanta, was detained in 2022 while visiting Kabul as a tourist. On Thursday, a Qatari aircraft flew him out of Afghanistan to Qatar, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Haqqani role in the Taliban government
In December, an explosion in Kabul killed Khalil Rahman Haqqani, Afghanistan’s acting minister for refugees and Sirajuddin Haqqani’s uncle. Six others also died in the blast.
Sirajuddin Haqqani entered Kabul in August 2021 after the Taliban took control. However, he avoided public appearances for several months. Although he met foreign diplomats and Taliban officials, the group often blurred his photos from these meetings. In his first television interview, he did not show his face. He finally made a public appearance in March 2022.
He is the son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a former Mujahideen commander who fought Soviet forces in the 1980s. The elder Haqqani later joined the Taliban and served as a minister in their previous government.
