The US State Department has removed Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, and two other senior Haqqani Network leaders from its Rewards for Justice programme, sources close to Haqqani told Afghanistan International.
Previously, the State Department had offered between $5 million and $10 million for information leading to the capture of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Aziz Haqqani. These names have now reportedly been removed from the rewards list.
Despite this, Sirajuddin Haqqani still appears on the FBI’s website and former State Department listings as a “Global Terrorist.” Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, his uncle and former Taliban minister for refugees who was killed in a recent ISIS attack in Kabul, remains on the list with a $5 million reward.
The State Department had earlier described Yahya Haqqani as a key link between the Haqqani Network and al-Qaeda. It also said Yahya had acted in place of Sirajuddin Haqqani and Khalil Haqqani when they were unavailable.
The US Department of Justice has not commented on the removal of the Haqqani leaders. Taliban officials have also not responded. US authorities have yet to answer questions from Afghanistan International about the changes.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, as leader of the Haqqani Network, is blamed for deadly attacks in major cities and large-scale civilian casualties. The network was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in 2012. All assets tied to it remain frozen, and US citizens are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with it.
Despite the reported removal of some individuals from the reward list, both the FBI and the State Department have reiterated that the $10 million reward for information leading to Sirajuddin Haqqani’s capture is still active.
The Haqqani Network remains officially listed as a terrorist organisation by the US Department of Justice. Public support or financial collaboration with the group remains a criminal offence under US law.
US Delegation Visits Kabul
The removal of the names from the US reward list comes shortly after a US delegation visited Kabul. The delegation included Adam Boehler, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and Zalmay Khalilzad, former US envoy for Afghan peace talks.
This marked the first visit by American officials to Kabul since the Taliban regained power in 2021. The US delegation met with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. It is unclear whether they met with other Taliban officials.
Before the visit, the Taliban removed anti-American slogans from the walls of the US Embassy in Kabul.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Afghanistan International that the primary goal of the trip was to secure the return of American hostages. She also noted that broader, long-term issues were discussed during the meetings.
