US Removes Bounty On Taliban’s Sirajuddin Haqqani, State Department Confirms

The US State Department confirmed to Afghanistan International on Monday that there is currently no bounty for the arrest of Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

However, it clarified that Haqqani and the Haqqani Network remain designated as terrorists by the US government.

The removal includes Sirajuddin Haqqani and two other key Haqqani Network figures, Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani, from the US “Rewards for Justice” programme. Previously, this programme offered significant financial rewards for information leading to their capture.

Sources close to Haqqani earlier informed Afghanistan International about the removal of these bounties. Yet, Sirajuddin Haqqani continues to be listed as a “global terrorist” on the FBI and former State Department websites.

Despite this change, the State Department reaffirmed that Haqqani Network leaders remain on the Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) list. Additionally, the Haqqani Network itself continues to be classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US.

The State Department explained that its policies and reward programmes are regularly reviewed and updated.

The Taliban recently responded positively to the decision. Last week, the group released a US citizen in what it called a “gesture of goodwill.”

Some analysts suggest the US decision represents a concession to the Haqqani faction, viewed by Western governments as a relatively pragmatic element within the Taliban.