US State Dept offers $10m reward for leader of Iraqi armed group

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

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The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on the leader of the Tehran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), which Washington designates as a terrorist organization.

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US officials said in a social media post Thursday they were seeking information on KSS leader Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai.

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The group has “killed Iraqi civilians and attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, as well as attacking U.S. military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Washington said.

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The post notes “you could be eligible for relocation and a reward” for information on al-Saraji’s whereabouts.

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Al-Saraji has a seat within the Coordination Framework, the ruling Shiite alliance that holds the parliamentary majority.

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Iran-backed groups have targeted the US embassy in Iraq’s capital, its diplomatic and logistics facility at Baghdad’s airport, and oil fields operated by foreign companies.

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Iraq, which had recently regained some stability after decades of conflict, was immediately dragged into the Middle East war triggered when the United States and Israel attacked Iran February 28.

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Earlier this month, a similar reward was offered for the leader of Kataeb Hezbollah, a powerful Iraqi armed group who kidnapped US journalist Shelly Kittleson last month and held her for a week before setting her free.

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Washington has piled pressure on Baghdad to fight the pro-Tehran groups by suspending cash shipments and freezing funding for security programs in Iraq, according to US media reports this week.

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AFP

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