U.S. confirms $10m bounty on terrorist leader al‑Jolani

The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that the $10 million reward for information about the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Muhammad al-Jolani, is still valid.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that due to al-Jolani's public appearances, the U.S. administration does not need information about his whereabouts. He also joked that he does not think any representative of the U.S. government will come forward for the reward.

The reward was announced in 2017 and pertains to the leader of the strongest group of rebels that opposed the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. HTS, recognized by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, was formed from the merger of the Nusra Front with other Islamist groups. Under al-Jolani’s leadership, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda carried out many terrorist attacks, including the massacre of 20 residents of a Druze village in Idlib province.

During a briefing, Miller also addressed the possible Turkish offensive against the Kurds in Syria. According to "The Wall Street Journal," the U.S. is concerned about the buildup of forces near the Syrian border and the planned Turkish attack on land controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Miller noted that the U.S. is conducting delicate talks with Turkey, trying to extend the ceasefire in the city of Manbij.

"We don't want to see any party take advantage of the current unstable situation to advance their own narrow interests at the expense of the broader Syrian national interest," said Miller. However, he acknowledged that Turkey has "legitimate concerns" in combating terrorism, recognizing the SDF as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is also considered by the U.S. to be a terrorist organization.