Adedokun Waliyu 
The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on the leader of the Tehran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, which Washington designates as a terrorist organisation.
US officials said they are seeking information on the group’s leader, Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai.
According to US authorities, the group has been involved in attacks on Iraqi civilians, US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, and US military bases and personnel in both Iraq and Syria.
The reward offer states that individuals providing useful information could be eligible for relocation as well as financial compensation.
Al-Saraji is reported to hold a position within Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a Shiite political alliance with a parliamentary majority.
Iran-backed armed groups have been accused of targeting the US embassy in Baghdad, as well as diplomatic and logistical sites at the city’s airport and oil facilities operated by foreign companies.
Iraq, which had been experiencing relative stability after years of conflict, has been affected by the wider Middle East crisis following military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran.
Earlier in the month, US authorities also announced a similar reward for a leader of Kataeb Hezbollah, who was linked to the abduction of a US journalist.
Washington has also increased pressure on the Iraqi government to act against pro-Tehran armed groups by suspending certain financial transfers and freezing funding for some security programmes.
