US offers up to $15 million for two terrorist leaders

The US Rewards for Justice program offers up to 15 million dollars for information on two senior al-Qaeda leaders in the Indian Subcontinent.

Both individuals are designated by the US as global terrorists involved in the killing of American citizens.

Osama Mehmood, who leads al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), is considered among the region’s most dangerous terrorists.

Mehmood is a Pakistani national and is believed to be residing somewhere in Afghanistan.

He facilitates coordination among jihadist groups in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, according to US officials.

His group carried out two attacks, targeting American citizens in 2015 and US Agency for International Development (USAID) employees in Bangladesh in 2016.

In those attacks, one American citizen was killed, and another was wounded, underscoring the group’s direct threat to American citizens.

The US Rewards for Justice program is offering a five million dollar reward for information leading to his arrest or elimination.

The program also offers up to 10 million dollars for information leading to Atif Yahya Ghouri, who serves as Osama Mehmood’s deputy.

Ghouri is known by several aliases, including Qari Atif, Atif Ghouri, Yahya Shoaib Ghouri, and Qari Ibrahim.

Fear and decline

US pressure has disrupted terrorist planning and leadership, forcing them to live in fear, said Muhammad Nabi Zakari, a political analyst in Kabul.

These leaders now spend their time avoiding detection rather than organizing attacks, he added.

"One of the reasons al-Qaeda has weakened is that the leaders of this terrorist group have been targeted by the United States in recent years," he told Salaam Times.

Zakari explained that sustained pressure has weakened al-Qaeda’s internal cohesion, limiting the organization’s ability to coordinate effectively across its regional branches.

Justice and community impact

Analysts suggest offering 15 million dollars for two senior leaders reflects strong US commitment to contain al-Qaeda, emphasizing accountability and deterrence.

Rewards for Justice Program as highly effective, as it empowers communities harmed by al-Qaeda’s violence, said Abdul Wali Haris, Herat-based political analyst.

"This program has provided a golden opportunity for communities that are fed up with al-Qaeda’s oppression and terror," he said.

"Local communities can both rid themselves of al-Qaeda terrorists and earn large sums of money by providing information about terrorists to security institutions."

The program has already played a key role in facilitating major arrests and the elimination of high-profile terrorists.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 after information from local sources.

Abu Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan in 2002 through similar cooperation, and other senior al-Qaeda leaders were later eliminated under the same program.