As part of its war on terrorism, the United States is targeting key operatives of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, a Yemen-based affiliate of the core al-Qa’ida terrorist organization and its most active ally.
The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $6 million and possible relocation for information on AQAP’s current leader, Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, also known as Sa’d Muhammad Atif. Al-Awlaki rose to the group’s leadership upon the death of the previous head, Khaled Batarfi, in 2024. Al-Awlaki has publicly called for attacks against the United States and its allies.
To hamstring AQAP’s ability to raise funds for its terrorist activities, the United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million and possible relocation for information that leads to the disruption of the group’s financial mechanisms.
AQAP generates revenue through a variety of financial activities, including extortion, oil smuggling and sales, human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, fake charities, and donations from benefactors abroad. AQAP leaders have used these funds to finance weapons purchases, training, and terrorist operations, and to take control of parts of Yemen.
As part of the operation to disrupt AQAP’s financial network, the United States is also offering rewards for information on two of the group’s key financial officers: Subayt bin Harith, and Abbas Hamdan.
Subayt Bin Harith, who is also known as Abu Ghazwan al-Hadrami, is a senior AQAP leader and a member of the group’s shura council. He has managed the group’s finances and coordinated travel for foreign fighters entering Yemen.
Abbas Hamdan is a senior AQAP leader and the group’s finance emir. He is a veteran AQAP operative who has supported the group’s financial activities and attack planning against targets that included U.S. interests in the Middle East.
If you or anyone you know has information on al-Awlaki, Bin Harith or Hamdan, or on any entities or financial institutions that facilitate AQAP’s fund-raising activities, you can provide it with complete confidentiality. Contact Rewards for Justice via Signal, Telegram, or Whatsapp at: +1 202-702-7843, or via their website: www.rewardsforjustice.net
