The U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai, who is the leader of the Tehran-backed Iraqi militant group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), which Washington has designated a terrorist organization.U.S. officials posted on X on Friday that they were seeking information about Sarraj’s whereabouts. Those who provide information “may be eligible for relocation and rewards,” the post said.Washington said the KSS “has killed Iraqi civilians, attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, and attacked U.S. military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria.”Sarraj holds a seat in the Coordination Framework, the ruling Shiite coalition that holds a majority in Iraq’s parliament, AFP reported.Iran-backed groups have targeted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, diplomatic and logistical facilities at Baghdad Airport, and oil fields operated by foreign companies.The development comes at a time of heightened tensions middle East The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, leading to retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria, a move that reportedly “surprised” even the Trump administration. A fragile ceasefire in the wider conflict was extended on Thursday.Earlier this month, the United States announced a similar reward for the leader of the Iraqi militant group Kataeb Hezbollah, who was accused of kidnapping American journalist Shirley Kittelson last month and releasing her a week later.Washington has also stepped up pressure on Baghdad to take action against pro-Tehran groups, suspending cash shipments and freezing funding for Iraqi security projects, U.S. media reported this week.
