‘Martyrs, heroes of the country’ — Taliban promises cash, land to families of suicide bombers

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s acting interior minister, calls bombers 'heroes of Islam', gives 10,000 afghanis to their families.

The Taliban government’s acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani promised plot of land to families of suicide bombers | Twitter | @moiafghanistan

New Delhi: The Taliban lauded the “sacrifices” of suicide bombers who attacked the US and Afghan soldiers, and called them “heroes of Islam and the country”.

Addressing a gathering at a Kabul hotel Monday, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s acting interior minister, praised the bombers, referring to them as “martyrs and mujahidin”, and said people should “refrain from betraying the aspirations of our martyrs”.

He also gave 10,000 afghanis to families of the suicide bombers and promised each a plot of land.

Yesterday, Interior Minister Alhaj Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani met with the heirs of the martyred at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. In his speech, the Interior Minister praised the Jihad & sacrifices of the martyrs & Mujahidin & called them heroes of Islam & the country. pic.twitter.com/IiTuC8qDgO

— Ministry of Interior Affairs- Afghanistan (@moiafghanistan) October 19, 2021

 

Sirajuddin Haqqani is the head of the Haqqani network, a US-designated terror group founded by his father Jalaluddin Haqqani in the 1970s. The group, which operates in the southeastern region of Afghanistan and the northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan, has been notorious for carrying out some of the deadliest attacks in Kabul and against the NATO coalition.

Sirajuddin’s name has also featured on the FBI’s most-wanted list and has a bounty of $10 million on him.

The Taliban leadership’s move to reward suicide bombers comes amid its attempts to open diplomatic channels with the international community.

While no country has officially recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan yet, India, Russia, and the Taliban delegation, along with representatives from eight other countries, will meet in Moscow Wednesday to discuss the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.