U.S. Offers $30 mln in Search for Haqqani Leaders

The United States offered a total $30 million Wednesday in return for information on key leaders of the feared Haqqani militant network, blamed for numerous bloody attacks in Afghanistan.

"The Department has authorized rewards of up to $5 million 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.

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

The State Department added: "The group is allied with al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban and cooperates with other terrorist organizations in the region."

It said that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network was "the most lethal insurgent group" targeting the U.S.-led NATO coalition and Afghan personnel in neighboring Afghanistan.