US Lifts $10 Million Reward on Taliban Leader Sirajuddin Haqqani

Kabul, March 23 (APP): The United States has lifted its $10 million reward offer for information leading to the arrest of Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader and the head of the Haqqani Network, an Afghan interior ministry spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) still lists the reward on its website. According to the FBI, Haqqani is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against US and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The announcement follows the Taliban’s release of an American citizen, who had been detained in Afghanistan for over two years. The release came after direct talks between US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials in Kabul.

This meeting marked the highest-level direct talks between the US and the Taliban since President Donald Trump took office. Discussions included Afghanistan-US bilateral relations, prisoner releases, and consular services for Afghans in the US.

Read more: Pakistan’s Special Representative Visits Afghanistan Following Torkham Border Reopening

Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of Mujahideen leader Jalauddin Haqqani, who fought against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, remains a key figure in the Taliban’s leadership. His network has been designated a terror group by the US for its involvement in numerous attacks during the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan.