US removes bounties on three Taliban leaders, including interior minister

The United States has rescinded financial rewards for information leading to the capture of three high-ranking Taliban figures, including Afghanistan’s interior minister, who also commands a formidable network responsible for deadly attacks on the country’s former Western-backed administration. Officials in Kabul confirmed the move on Sunday.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, who previously admitted to orchestrating the January 2008 assault on the Serena Hotel in Kabul — which resulted in six fatalities, including US national Thor David Hesla — has been removed from the State Department’s Rewards for Justice website. However, as of Sunday, his wanted notice remained visible on the FBI’s website.

According to Afghanistan interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani, the US has lifted its bounties on Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani. “These three individuals are related—two are brothers, and the other is a paternal cousin,” Qani told the Associated Press.

Following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Haqqani network emerged as one of the Taliban’s most lethal factions. The group was known for employing roadside bombs, orchestrating suicide attacks, and targeting high-profile sites, including the Indian and US embassies, the Afghan presidential palace, and other key locations. The network has also been linked to kidnapping, extortion, and other illicit operations.

Senior foreign ministry official Zakir Jalaly characterised the removal of these bounties — along with the Taliban’s release of US citizen George Glezmann on Friday — as signals that both sides are beginning to move past the hostilities of war and taking steps toward diplomatic engagement.

“The recent progress in Afghanistan-US relations demonstrates a practical and realistic approach between the two governments,” Jalaly said.

Shafi Azam, another official, described the development as a key milestone in normalising relations in 2025. He also pointed to the Taliban’s recent declaration that it now controls Afghanistan’s embassy in Norway as further evidence of their growing international presence.

Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021, China has been the most prominent country to officially engage with their diplomats. Meanwhile, nations like Qatar, which has played a central role as a mediator between the US and the Taliban, have accepted Taliban representatives informally. US officials have also held multiple meetings with Taliban representatives.

Despite these diplomatic strides, the Taliban’s governance — particularly its severe restrictions on women and girls — has drawn sharp criticism globally, further isolating the regime on the international stage.

Sirajuddin Haqqani has previously voiced concerns over the Taliban’s decision-making, criticising its authoritarian tendencies and detachment from the Afghan people.

His growing acceptance in international affairs contrasts sharply with the status of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who could face legal action from the International Criminal Court over alleged human rights violations, particularly regarding the suppression of women’s rights.

With agency inputs