US offers $30m for info on Haqqani leaders

State Department authorises new rewards for information on Haqqani network, blamed for numerous attacks in Afghanistan.

The State Department increased the reward offer to $10m for Sirajuddin Haqqani [File: Reuters]

The United States has offered a total $30m in return for information on key leaders of the Haqqani network, blamed for numerous attacks in Afghanistan.

“The Department has authorised rewards of up to $5m each for information leading to the location of Aziz Haqqani, Khalil al-Rahman Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Abdul Rauf Zakir,” the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

It also increased its previous reward offer of up to $5m for information on the group’s leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, to up to $10m.

The State Department added: “The group is allied with al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban and cooperates with other terrorist organisations in the region.”

It said that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network was “the most lethal insurgent group” targeting the US-led NATO coalition and Afghan personnel in Afghanistan.

Update: Meanwhile, Taliban has rejected the US announcement saying it “clearly demonstrates the weakness and defeat of the American authorities” and US is trying to “hide defeat through such propaganda wiles.”

“Americans, who have not defeated the brave Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and our pious nation by dent of ineffective announcements, military operations, bombardments and other atrocities, cannot terrify us by these propaganda announcements,” a Taliban statement sent to Al Jazeera said.

“All the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate are practically engaged in an intense and sanguinary war with the invading Americans and the family of Haqqani has given enormous sacrifices in this way.”

Source: Al Jazeera