US announces up to $5m reward for information on Afghan-American taken by Taliban

WASHINGTON - The U.S. on Monday announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location and release of Mahmoud Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who was detained by the Taliban’s intelligence service on August 10, 2022.

A former civil aviation chief under Afghanistan’s ousted Western-backed government, Habibi and his driver were seized along with 29 other employees of the Kabul telecommunications firm for which he worked, said a State Department notice.

All except Habibi and one other person were subsequently released. “Mr. Habibi has not been heard from since his initial arrest and the so-called Taliban government has yet to provide any information regarding his whereabouts or condition,” said the notice issued by the department’s Rewards for Justice program.

“Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location, recovery, and return of” Habibi, it said. The Taliban, who seized Kabul as the last U.S. troops pulled out in August 2021 after a 20-year war, deny holding Habibi.